Cornerstone Roots

Cornerstone Roots are a successful contemporary New Zealand reggae band from Raglan/Whaingaroa in the Waikato.

Formed in 2001 after a session at the infamous local Raglan Musicians Club, the original three-piece outfit singer/songwriter/guitarist Brian and drummer Turongo Dixon (both Māori) and bassist Naomi Tuao (Samoan/Scottish) formed the rhythm section of Cornerstone Roots. The music at that time was raw and riddim focused with a mix of contemporary styled ska/roots/soul and reggae. The band quickly developed a strong local following with many of the early shows being filmed and recorded by fans. This prompted the band to record their first Extended play One Fine Day in 2001 where they set about touring provincial New Zealand where the cafes were crammed and live shows intense.

Cornerstone Roots have supported some heavyweight reggae acts including Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, Sly and Robbie with Michael Rose, Jimmy Cliff, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Mad Professor. They have also recorded tracks with Ranking Joe & Big Youth.

The band have evolved many times since its humble beginnings and now feature Jonathan Crayford on keyboards and Aaron Bush on percussion. Recent shows have been described as "intense" with the "impact of a hammer hitting an anvil. - Wikipedia