Music Coast caught up with Selekta Razja at Rise and Vibes 2026 at Tico Time River Resort for our second interview together — a deeper follow-up conversation about reggae unity, selector culture, dubwise basslines, and what it means to move a crowd with intention.
Selekta Razja talks about what first pulled him into reggae and sound system culture, how he builds a festival set, and why his late-night Friday set at Rise & Vibes pushed him into a wilder dancehall direction than people may have expected.
We also get into:
- The unity inside reggae and sound system culture
- Building a set before arriving at the festival grounds
- Flipping a 12:30 a.m. slot into a dancehall-heavy moment
- Moving through dub, reggae, Afrobeat, world music, and instrumental ideas
- The difference between a selector and someone who only plays songs
- Reading the crowd and knowing where to take the dance next
- Working toward the craft of turntablism inside roots reggae and dub
- The ancestral feeling of Tico Time and Rise & Vibes
- Dubwise basslines, conscious messages, and why reggae is fully alive right now
- New work, future festival bookings, and more music on the way
This one felt less like an introduction and more like continuing the conversation where we left off.
🎤 Interview by Music Coast
📍 Rise & Vibes 2026 — Tico Time River Resort, Aztec, New Mexico / near Durango, Colorado
