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Reggae Splash In Florida 9-5-09 September 3, 2009

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REGGAE SPLASH 2009
The Golden Voices of Reggae

Featuring Live in Concert: Bernard Jackson (from the R&B group Surface), The Messenjah Luciano, Frankie Paul, Everton Blender, Isha Blender backed by Jah Messenjah Band. Music by Poison Dart.

Advance Tickets $25.00 (General Admission Standing Room Only)

Doors @ 8pm / Showtime @ 9pm

Monterey Bay 14th Annual Reggae Festival Sept 4-6th! September 3, 2009

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People from all walks of life come to enjoy a variety of reggae music styles at the annual Monterey Bay Reaggaefest.
This year is the 14th time it’s been held over Labor Day weekend, and despite some years of hardship and having to skip one year along the way, the well-loved event put on by A&P Productions lives on another year to bring fans a well-designed, eye-opening, hip-shaking lineup to the beautiful Monterey Fairgrounds.

The headlining acts spread over three days (Friday through Sunday) on the main stage include Ky-Mani Marley, Kevens, Don Carlos, Israel Vibration, the Itals reunited, Prezident Brown, Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus, and the original Big Mountain.

On the festival’s two stages there will be more than 30 bands sharning the vibes and rhythms of reggae music, from the tradition of rock steady to the innovation and exploration of reggae fusions with hip-hop, rock, jazz and drum ‘n’ bass.

The festival atmosphere is always mellow, and the tree-lined walkways of the fairgrounds are dotted with food, international crafts, music and reggae regalia vendors.

Andre Smith and his wife Pam (A&P Productions) have always worked diligently to make the event a family-oriented experience, where kids can play in jump houses and enjoy face painting, young adults can participate in 3-on-3 basketball games and tournaments, and those over 21 can enjoy a full bar and a beer garden as they take in the music and one of the more interesting
people-watching opportunities around.
DJ parties and after-festival parties add to the social scene at the festival, where musicians and festival attendees can intermingle and share stories.

Some of the other acts on Friday’s main stage lineup with the legendary Israel Vibration, featuring the vocal harmonies of Cecil “Skelly” Spence and Lacelle “Wiss” Bulgin, minus Albert “Apple” Craig from the original three-man front line, are Richie Spice, Spanner Banner and the seven-person review known as the Lion Camp.

The second stage Friday has Tri-Plex, Ras D, Fubar, MC International and DJ Supa Mario. Gates open at 3 p.m., and the action gets started at 3:15 p.m. Each night the music ends at 10 p.m.

The after-party Friday is at Blue Fin Cafe & Billiards on Cannery Row with live music by Omani, with special guest Winstrong. A separate cover is asked at this show, $8 or $4 with Reggaefest wristband.

Saturday gets started at noon, with DJ Robert Ranking and MC Rocky Allen Bailey rallying the faithful with their mixes and banter.

Music follows with Batch/Ras Attitude backed by the Zioneers, Messenjah Selah, Tanya Stephens backed by the Yellow Wall Band, and three big names to follow: Big Mountain, the Itals, and Kevens (more to follow on Kevens below).

The second stage starts off with MC Supa Mario, DJ Q and DJ Matdub, followed by bands Valley Roots, Emmanuel Selassie, Roots Natty, Dub-Wize, Batch/Ras Attitude backed by the Zioneers and Ras Indio from Belize.

Saturday’s after-party happens across the street from the fairgrounds at Planet Gemini with Big Mountain. Cover charge is $20, or $15 with Reggaefest wristband.

Sunday at the headliner-heavy main stage, the featured acts begin at noon, opening with International DJ Supa Mario, who will also act as MC.

Music acts follow with Sister I-Live/Mista Majah P., Chuck Fenda backed by the Yellow Wall Band, Prezident Brown, Ras Michael and the sons of Negus, Ky-Mani Marley and Don Carlos.

The second stage starts at noon with MC Makada and DJ Moi, followed by Midtones, Omani, Militia of Love, Arkaingelle/Blaak Lung backed by the Zioneers, DJ Don-ette G. featuring Winstrong and Malika Madremana and finishes with Stir It Up Band.

The Sunday closing after-party is in the Monterey Room on the festival grounds, featuring Chuck Fenda and a special guest. Cover is $15, $10 with Reggaefest wristband.

In a wide-ranging and frank interview with Miami-based rock reggae performer Kevens, the evolution and the popularity of reggae music was discussed and also what kind of path Kevens is on to bring a fresh sound and appearance to the music.

While the history of reggae reaches back to Jamaica and its Kingston ghetto rude boy beginning, the music did not reach an international audience until Bob Marley and the Wailers hit the U.K. in a big way.

It was his message of “One Love” and revolt over tyranny and war that resonated with the youth of that time, plus his songs spoke loudly through his rebellious nature, although he based his words on a dream of the world united by love and not divided by race or ethnicity.

And then it wasn’t until the mid-’70s/early ’80s when pop/rock musicians such as Eric Clapton with Marley’s song “I Shot The Sheriff,” and Sting with his band The Police had hits that integrated the music’s rhythms into modern rock, that the original reggae sound grew beyond the British market.

There it had been primarily recorded at Chris Blackwell’s Island Records studios and promoted heavily to the rock audience.

It was then that Marley became a globetrotting sensation, and on his coattails rode an army of harmonizing Rastafarian reggae performers.

And like all genres of music that the record labels get a hold of, eventually it is homogenized and packaged for a particular audience and all innovation is sucked out until the groups all sound alike and the music loses its spark and surprise.

While Kevens is quick to point out that he has huge respect and love for the greater reggae universe, he tells it like it is by refusing to sell out and by taking chances creating his music directly from his vision and with his tastes and insights first and foremost in how he chooses to produce his music.

“It took me years,” Kevens said about how he evolved from a DJ spinning an eclectic mix of dub, ska and progressive reggae in Miami to being a headlining performer. “When I had my band Le Coup with the Booker brothers (Bob Marley’s half brothers) before I went solo, I took two to three years off just to write, OK? So writing new material is one thing. Then you have to go out there and play, making mistakes, which I did a lot of mistakes. It’s only been like the past five years where I’m ready to go out there.

“And as you know, the record labels try to change you. I have the hardest time because they don’t go for this, what I do. My fans, they all curse me, they say, ‘Why are you in Miami, why aren’t you in England?’ Yeah, I go to England and I work in England doing commercials for so long. But I just love being in Miami. This is home for me.

“You know, I want my music to be more appreciated. I believe that you no longer have to go to Europe to make it. I have a strong belief that the tables are turning. There’s a lot of greatness in America musically speaking, and by God I’ll be known as a Miami artist, right here from Miami, Sunshine State. It is the music you ought to be listening to from England, but it’s from here.”

Having opened for rock titans Aerosmith to great response from the rock audience, Kevens has designs on bringing reggae back to greater prominence in the overall music market by appealing to a wider range of listeners with his fusion of reggae with rock, jazz and drum ‘n’ bass, as well as further developing his live act where theatricality works to get his message of “Positivity is a Necessity” across.

Saturday night at the 14th annual Monterey Bay Reggaefest will be a rockin’ reggae experience with the 6-foot-4-inch Kevens decked out in his hip attire and his most radical band, which lifts the house out of its stupor with guitar jams and jazzy trumpet solos.

Kevens is a force on stage not to be missed. He is currently at work completing his first album as a solo artist, so stay tuned for that coming probably in the new year.