“Candle Burning,” the latest album by the California-based collective, “is about the light that guides us, the inner fire that fuels our journey, and the energy that connects all things,” according to Harrison Stafford, the group’s founder, who studied jazz at the University of Sonoma, where he also teaches the history of reggae. This light is what infuses Groundation’s music, both on their albums and on stage during their generous concerts, driven by an energy that is as calm as it is powerful. For over 25 years, the California-based collective has evolved, but its artistic vision—a fusion of roots reggae and jazz—remains the same. The stage is their true laboratory. Every concert is a unique experience: a constant dialogue between groove, improvisation, and collective fervor. On stage, the music—like the shared human values—flows freely. The band’s leader, singer, and guitarist speaks of a “spiritual conversation through music,” of “trance and unity through sound”—the communion of reggae, in the Rastafarian tradition, and the dialogue among musicians in the jazz tradition. Groundation embodies authenticity, intensity, and generosity—a one-of-a-kind band set to take the stage at the Théâtre Antique during the Jazz à Vienne festival!