Jah Steve and the Counteract Crew are the latest Reggae phenomenon to hit the stages of South Florida. To paraphrase Reggae maestro Bob Marley, one good thing about the Counteract Crew is that when their music hits you, you feel no pain.
Counteract Crew band leader Steve McGowan, aka Jah Steve, has music in his blood and in his bones and the Miami native has been involved in the entertainment industry for most of his life. Steve started off in the music business around 1996 as a sound engineer setting up audio equipment for live stage events. He soon developed a life-long love for music as he became a regular and competent stage technician for the many Caribbean acts performing in South Florida.
A self-taught guitarist and musician, Jah Steve eventually joined Crisis, a local backing band that provided the opportunity for him to learn and play a wide variety of popular songs and rhythms. After this invaluable experience, Jah Steve became the band leader and bassist for 4th Dimension, a South Florida Reggae show band.
Over a fifteen year period, 4th Dimension became a staple at venues from Miami Beach to downtown Fort Lauderdale, to West Palm Beach. During that time Jah Steve also performed before thousands of fans at events like the Bob Marley Festival in Miami and at other major festivals and concerts nationwide across the U.S.
Today in 2015 Jah Steve is the front man for the Counteract Crew, a newly formed South Florida Reggae band specializing in Reggae music with an authentic “old school” feel. The Counteract Crew is comprised of band Music Director Bruno Ruiz (a.k.a “B-Roots”) on guitar; Bruno’s brother Frankie Ruiz on drums; keyboard genius Doron Clarence; and Jah Steve on bass guitar.
The Counteract Crew is filling the high demand and constant need in South Florida for quality live Reggae acts. Music lovers can catch these musical craftsmen performing live at venues around South Florida and fans should look out for their new recordings coming out in 2016.
Sample songs covered include:
"Is This Love"
"Pirates"
"Big Brown Eyes"
"(The Way You Do) The Things You Do"
"Love Is Overdue"
"Iron Lion Zion"
"If Jah Is Standing By My Side"