Roddy Labontè is the new vocalist of the band "Franziska" since 2004. He was born in the Seychelles and grew up as mc in Milan where, together with the selector Giadama, he set up the Rivernile Soundsystem and became well known playing from 1999 to 2004 in several yards in town such as Pergola, Cantiere, Acqua Potabile, and getting straight on the stage of Rototom Sunsplash in 2002. His unique vocal style combines the melodic lines of roots music with the power of ragga. The contribution of Roddy as new voice of "Franziska", from two years at the side of Piero Comite, allows the band to play within the dualism between white and black voice, alternating on stage and also in the songs from the new album "Frnzsk", in a continuous combination of melodic shades, raggamuffin and ragga. The atmospheres of this album range between electronical contaminations of roots reggae and dancehall style, meltin up many sounds and influences from United States, Germany and Jamaica. Ciccio Bolognesi, believing and working in this project from 10 years, says: ..."our new sound is the result of artistical and musical needs of the new "Franziska": the general taste and the references have been changing in these years as also the methods in composition and arrangement of the tracks, thanks even to the changes in the group, to the joining of Roddy, and to the artistical production by Riccardo Gilbertini, ex member of Reggae National Tickets. The spur which brought to the founding of Franziska in 1997 was the love for the sonorities of ska, rocksteady and early reggae. After several years of musical mess-tin on the stages of the most important italian cities, Franziska had their debut record "Special Blend" in 2001. During 2004 and 2005 the band went through a little revolution: some important line-up changes were made, the sound of original jamaican music was gradually set quite aside as the band got closer to reggae and got into an international view by taking inspiration from the new tendencies of jamaican roots. The first signs of these changes are as always evident in live shows, and the final result of this revolution is the new CD, "Frnzsk", one of the best italian reggae records of 2006.