Shayar

I never would have thought to say the words "reggae music" and "Appalachia" in the same sentence until speaking with Leval "Shayar" Jarrett of Krooshal Force.

After 15 years living in New York and playing with reggae heavyweight Burning Spear, the guitarist traded the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple for the more pastoral locale of Beckley, W.Va.

Shayar was born in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and he describes his childhood as idyllic. He left at age 18 to begin his 15-year stint as a member of Burning Spear's backing band. When that relationship ran its course, he moved to Appalachia and formed the newest version of Krooshal Force (he's had many versions of the same band) with bassist Garry "Giggy" Morris Jr. and drummer Wayne Shorter.

Shayar has released three independent albums, including "The King & I," which contains two live cuts featuring his current version of the band.

Krooshal Force brings its fiery brand of roots-rock to Campbell's Place in Roanoke on Friday.

Q: Because you grew up in Jamaica, is it too presumptuous of me to assume that Bob Marley was an influence?

A: Oh, sure, but a bigger influence was my dad. He played bass for years. I also loved, and still do, a lot of jazz ... George Benson, Oscar Peterson, stuff like that. I practice jazz every day. It might sound like you can just go and play anything [laughs], but there's a true form to it. Last week, I went to Smith Mountain Lake and had a jam session with some friends and we played jazz, but it always comes back to my reggae projects. Music is my life and will always be my life. New things will always happen.

Q: You've been in the business long enough to be called a veteran. What do you make of the state of modern reggae?

A: There doesn't really seem to be a reggae circuit right now. It comes and it goes. I'll call a club that I played at last year, and they're closed. I call another, they're closed, too. The radio plays the minimum amount of reggae music. Most of the clubs I play are rock clubs who accommodate reggae. If I play 50 clubs, 49 are rock clubs [laughs] who will have a reggae night. In the summer, we hit the festivals because people like reggae in the summer. We'll do the U.S., and in Jamaica we play the hotels. I got to play the very first Reggae Sunsplash in what, 1977! [Laughs.] The festivals are the best place to be. In Europe, the people like to hear your originals ... [they're] sort of like, "Well, what about you?" Even if it's not your best song, it's yours and they're happy for you.

Q: Did moving to West Virginia after living in Jamaica and New York give you culture shock?

A: [Laughs.] No, not so much. I have been traveling internationally -- America, Europe, Brazil, Israel -- for so long now that it's hard for me to get culture shock [laughs]. I like West Virginia. In the summer it reminds me of Jamaica. The winters are harsh, but that's OK. I have my garden, and I grow vegetables; and I have the New River and the landscape and the stars at night. I am game and open for life. I paint also, with oil. ... People ask me how I don't get bored when I travel, sitting on a bus all the time. I read, I have the landscape, I sketch, I paint. ... I'm just game for life like that. I have begun to learn the violin and mandolin, and I've been playing around with doing deep, heavy reggae backing with the bluegrass over the top. I'm going to keep [the sound] mine and give the rest to the people ... maybe they will be impressed.

Q: What's your favorite reggae album?

A: Bob Marley's "Confrontation." All the songs do me something. They tell the story, you know? When I have troubles and need to get away, I listen to Peter Tosh. Reggae music is loaded with positivity, and with reggae, even negativity gets balanced out. People have energy and sometimes it comes out negative, but reggae music will balance it out [laughs].