Rootsman: Richie Spice

"RIGHT NOW, I'm in the streets — Kingston, Jamaica!" shouted singer Richie Spice into a faltering cell phone. How appropriate: The roots-reggae giant's new CD is titled "In the Streets to Africa," and it's another strong collection of cultural tunes, such as "Open the Door" and "Youth Dem Cold."

But it wasn't Kingston's tough streets where Spice, 36, first began applying his soulful pipes to reggae riddims. He grew up in a rural part of St. Andrew parish — just outside of Kingston, but a world apart. "It's not really too far from town, but the problem was the community never developed where there was a telephone and transportation system, so I had to leave to get my work out there," Spice said. "But it was a nice vibration growing up there as a likkle youth because the atmosphere was very clean and it gave inspiration and a natural vibration."

The road out of St. Andrew was partly plowed by his brothers Pliers (who had the massive 1992 hit "Murder She Wrote" with Chaka Demus) and Spanner Banner, but Spice reached the top of the roots-reggae world through sheer hard work.

His politically charged 2000 song "Earth a Run Red" wasn't a hit when it first came out, but within a few years it was practically the national anthem of Jamaica.

» Zanzibar, 700 Water St. SW; with Spanner Banner, Fri., 9 p.m. doors, $30; 202-554-9100. (Waterfront-SEU)

Photo by William Richards/VP Records/5th Element