Jahgun & Reggae Motion did a great job opening the festival and set the tone with Jahgun (Originally from Brazil) delighting the crowd with his singjay style while Reggae Motion backed him with great sound and vocals. Jahgun’s son also performed alongside his father much to the delight of the crowd.

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Reggae Pon The Mountain took place in Topanga Canyon, seemingly isolated and remote area yet somewhat close to the Valley, Venice, Santa Monica and Malibu areas. The Festival featured major acts such as Julian Marley & The Uprising, the legendary “Black Uhuru”, as well as local bands such as Jahgun & Reggae Motion, Quinto Sol and Iya Terra. The small performance stage is great for fans who want to feel close to the artists or bands, though limiting of the artists’ dances or movements. The natural setting in the mountains definitely added to the Caribbean Reggae vibes that Hippies and Reggae fans crave. The Festival also offered as usual a great variety of art, clothing and food vendors. The event was a moderate success with attendance which could be considered convenient in regard to crowd control, especially for the spectators who like to interact with the performers or get close to the stage.

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You do not want to miss this upcoming Festival featuring Julian Marley & The Uprising and Black Uhuru amongst others. You can purchase tickets and obtain more info here: http://www.reggaeonthemountain.org

Alpha Blondy is without a doubt Africa’s Bob Marley and delivered his classic 80s hits such as “Jerusalem”, “Sweet Fanta Diallo” and “Brigadier Sabari”. He sang in various West African languages, French, English and Hebrew with his universal Anti-war and Pro-justice messages. He discussed his profound and fundamental anti-war stance in his post-interview and is deeply affected by the current War situation in Gaza. Alpha Blondy is a rebel who is not afraid to speak up harshly against injustice or oppression and is also not afraid to provoke with the performance of his new song “My American Dream” in which he describes his early 20’s experiences in NYC, stating that his American Dream was an American Nightmare which prompted him to return to Africa. Alpha Blondy was honored by the “Reggae On The River” committee as he was chosen to close out the 30th Annual Festival.

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Israel Vibration mesmerized the crowd with their Roots conscious reggae which contain conscious and spiritual lyrics. Cecil “Skelly” Spence and Lascelle “Wiss” Bulgin took turn singing their songs and also danced much to the delight of the crowd.
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Gyptian really mesmerized the crowd especially the ladies with his romantic baritone voice. The crowd went crazy during his performance when he sang “Beautiful Lady” and “Wine Slow”. Gyptian is clearly on the rise and also delivered dancehall like tracks and energy which really hyped up the crowd.
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Jah9 is a very conscious Rastafarian Sista and delivered just that with an astounding sultry voice which she also showcased in Acapella. Her lyrics revolve around Black and Women rights, freedom and healthy conscious lifestyles as well as spirituality.

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Mutabaruka is the Afrocentric voice of Reggae through his spoken word. He delivered very conscious poetry which touched various social issues ranging from Politics, Human rights with an emphasis on Black & Women’s rights, Religion, Food, Health, Nutrition and the legalization of Marijuana. He discussed the latter issue in-depth, during the post-show press conference, though he does not smoke himself. Mutabaruka is by essence an African philosopher, a very critical thinker who can be very humorous. This is demonstrated with his “The Monkey speaks his mind” song, where he criticizes mankind. He performed barefoot and in Traditional African Muslim attire though a Rastafarian. He was accompanied during his performance by a “Moor” holding an umbrella, conveying the image of a traditional African King from the 19th century. His band delivered cutting-edge Roots Reggae that were danceable though Mutabaruka is by essence a spoken word artist.

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Third World recently lost their lead singer Bunny Rugs but haven’t lost step by replacing him with their long time friend and partner AJ Brown who has a great vocal range. They epitomize music in that they are musicians first and foremost from the Bass, to lead guitar, to drums and hand drums, they are to me the “Earth, Wind and Fire” of Reggae. They delivered classic 80s hits such as “Forbidden Love” and Lead guitarist Stephen Cat Coore mesmerized the crowd by rendering Bob Marley classics such as “Redemption Song” with his Cello. Their lead drummer also electrified the crowd by playing the African Djembe very reminiscent of the West African style of drumming. This was a special performance for them as they’re celebrating 40 years of conscious freedom songs and still mourning the death of Bunny Rugs.

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Etana is a real singer and delivered conscious, spiritual and uplifting songs which touched various social issues from Politics to romantic relationships.

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Gentleman is still riding his new school buzz and performed for a hyped-up crowd. He performed with his pregnant vocalist wife who actually opened for him and his German band. He delivered his usual conscious/spiritual lyrics on the Roots Dancehall tip with much energy.

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Mega Banton performed briefly on Thursday for the “early birds” and by himself on Friday. Both performances were electrifying especially for the “old school” connoisseurs, his gruff voice, delivery, flow and lyrical skills similar to Buju Banton dancehall days are still relevant as he doused the crowd with his classic dancehall anthems from his first album “First Position” (1992). He also covered some classic Bob Marley songs and expressed his love and Respect for Damian Marley and actually sang. Mega Banton also did some Hip Hop Reggae much to the delight of the crowd by chattin’ over Rick Ross’ “Everyday I’m hustlin’” as well as Acapella in straight Patois.

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Mykal Rose performed twice during this festival, on Thursday with eclectic DJs Gaudi and Danny Ladwa with their reggae influenced electronic music and Friday by himself. He delivered his classic Mykal Rose sing style from the Black Uhuru days and covered classic material such as “Guess who’s coming to dinner” as well as new material from his new album “Crucial World”. The crowd was enchanted as he danced, entertained and got them involved during his performance.

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Sly & Robbie aka Sly Dunbar (Drummer) and Robbie Shakespeare (Bassist) aka Reggae are arguably Reggae’s best producers of all-time due to their longevity and consistent success from the hay day of Roots Reggae to today’s prevalent dancehall, Hip Hop and R&B. They performed with their Taxi Gang Band and set it off with classic tracks they produced for Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Black Uhuru and the likes and also featured artists with great vocal range such as Bitty Mclean.
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The 30th annual Reggae On The River Festival took place at the same location as last year amidst drought and dust. These natural elements did not however deter the Festival from great attendance due to the major line-up, great variety of food including raw vegan organic as well conscious vendors. Early birds on Thursday were able to see local artists while the festival which officially debuted on Friday August 1st featured the following artists:
~Jimmy Cliff
~ Alpha Blondy & The Solar System
~ Gentleman & The Evolution
~ Iration
~ Israel Vibration
~ Gyptian
~ Third World
~ Michael Rose
~ Sly & Robbie and the Taxi Gang
~ Etana
~ Fishbone
~ Bitty McLean
~ SEE-I
~ Mutabaruka & Skool Band
~ Jah9
~ Megah Banton
~ Meta & The Cornerstones
~ Marlon Asher
~ Iba MaHr
~ John Trudell & Bad Dog
~ Abya Yala
~ i-Kronik
~ John Trudell & Bad Dog
~ Zili Misik
~ Majic
~ Indubious
~ Thicker Than Thieves
~ Ras Marcus Benjamin

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What: The 30th Annual Reggae On The River®

Where: French’s Camp (Humboldt County- Garberville, CA)
When: July 31, August 1-3, 2014. Tickets on sale now!
Why: Celebrating 30 years of Reggae On The River®- back again at the original venue! Not to be missed!!!

Reggae On The River® Celebrates 30 Years! – Back once again at the festival’s original venue- French’s Camp, July 31, August 1-3, 2014

Home once again at our original venue, the iconic Reggae On The River® festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary on the weekend of July 31, Aug 1-3, 2014 at French’s Camp in Humboldt County, CA.

Featuring an incredible line-up to showcase the best and brightest of today’s reggae and world music talent, the 30th annual Reggae On The River will include such luminaries as Jimmy Cliff, Alpha Blondy & The Solar System, Gentleman & The Evolution, Iration, Israel Vibration, Gyptian, Third World, Michael Rose, Sly & Robbie and the Taxi Gang, Etana, Fishbone, Bitty McClean, SEE-I, Jah9, Mutabaruka, Megah Banton, Meta & The Cornerstones, Marlon Asher, GAUDI with Danny Ladwa, Courtney John Project, Jahdan Blakkamoore, Iba MaHr, Abya Yala, Zili Misik, John Trudell & Bad Dog, i-Kronik, Los Rakas, Indubious, Ishi Dube, Majic, Thicker Than Thieves, Paapa Wastik, Winstrong, Bobby Hustle, Jade Steel, and Tchiya Amet- plus DJs, sound systems, and more still TBA! Visit the festival website for more info- and if you haven’t joined already- be sure to sign up for the ROTR e-newsletter and receive the final sneak peeks into the amazing line-up, along with other benefits, offers, and festival news.

The main 3-day festival will take place Friday through Sunday, August 1-3 and tickets for this 3-day concert and camping pass are priced at $190. A limited number of early arrival tickets will allow access to the grounds a day early- on Thursday, July 31- for an extra evening of entertainment and first dibs on camping/ parking. This 4-day early arrival concert and camping pass is priced at $250. Get yours before its too late! Print at home tickets are available online at http://www.reggaeontheriver.com and hard tickets are available at the usual outlets in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Sonoma Counties, as posted on the festival website. Please also note there will be no single day tickets offered.

Camping and parking is on a first come, first served basis- with all vehicles charged a fee to park on site. The grounds have been expanded this year to allow for additional parking, camping, and RV options. RV spaces are limited and are available by advance registration only at a price of $500 per RV. RV reservations must be made in advance through the Mateel office at 707 923-3368 x21.

This special 30th anniversary celebration is guaranteed to sell out- so don’t delay in making your plans for this historic milestone event! For more information on the 30th annual Reggae On The River®, call the festival office at (707) 923-3368 or send an email to office@mateel.org. See you on the River!

The Monterey Bay Reggae Festival featured a nice selection of international artists from Jamaica, Hawaii, Haiti etc… Beenie Man, Wayne Wonder and Barrington Levy were definitely the highlights of the event and rocked the connoisseur crowd with new and classic hits. The group Fiji from Hawaii also delivered nice Reggae and R&B music to the delight of the crowd which featured many of their compatriots. There was also great drumming and dance performance from the Haitian Rascin Band which demonstrated the deep African roots embedded in Haitian culture and Folklore. The festival was rather small but had a nice selection of Food vendors that delivered Soul Food, Jamaican and Greek food amongst others. The camping site still had a lot of space left and Parking was definitely not an issue.

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This Reggae Festival featured various artists mostly from Jamaica but also from across the globe (Julian Marley, Morgan Heritage, Tarrus Riley, Junior Kelly, Les Nubians, The Meditations, Nkulee Dube, Daara J etc…). The festival was very well-organized and definitely worth the 12-hour drive from Los Angeles just for the scenic location of the camping site by the river as well as the healthy organic food provided by the organizers and vendors and the performances of course. The organizers went as far as using water trucks which doused the spectators with cool water due to the intense summer heat. Julian Marley was definitely the highlight of the Festival being a member of Reggae’s Royal Family and delivered great music and singing; while Anthony B had the most electrifying performance with his high energy, interactions with the crowd and stage presence with the multitude of Nyabinghi Flag bearers waving the Ghanaian and Jamaican Flags on stage. Newcomers like Nkulee Dube (Lucky Dube’s daughter) very pleasantly surprised the crowd with her vocal delivery and dancing and proudly represented her South African father Lucky (RIP) and Africa as a whole. Les Nubians delivered sultry performances like the grammy nominees that they are and were a delight to interact with backstage. Tarrus Riley had a grandiose performance and showed his wide array of Reggae and Dancehall influences. New artist Natural Black is definitely an artist we should be paying attention to, somewhat reminiscent of Sizzla and Bounty Killer. Morgan Heritage definitely rocked the crowd and had an appearance by Senegal’s renowned Aladji Man from Daara J. The Festival seemed like an extended vacation because of the variety of attractions from the beautiful Clearwater river to the vendors (Food, Art, Clothing…) and the Sound Systems. Major issues were however linked to the lack of cellular network coverage in this rural area, which is in our times highly inconvenient.

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