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March
10, 2009 – Long Beach, CA
The
28th Annual Ragga Muffins Festival
February
21 – 22, 2009 - Long Beach
Arena
Photos Jan Salzman
Day
One
The weekend event
started with an open press conference hosted by promoter Barbara Barabino. Buju Banton and Leroy Shakespeare were two artists
who showed up; Buju was in particularly good humor.
 Etana was a hit on Day One
Then came a British
invasion with the sensational Dennis Bovell and Macka B, mixed by the one and
only maestro at the board, The Mad Professor.
It was a strong dub sound backing the two singers’ vocals. They were magnificent!
The Somalia-born
singer K’naan brought his unique blend of hip-hop with traditional African
melodies to a completely receptive crowd. The entertaining performer delivered songs
from his sophomore CD Troubadour,
recently recorded at Tuff Gong in Kingston and released on A&M/Octone.
Son of reggae
legend, Bob Marley, Julian Marley opened with his father’s classic “Give Thanks
and Praises.” He could’ve won an award
for the best flashing locks of the day.
He performed a couple of new tunes from his upcoming CD Awake, including “Boom Draw” and “Little
Too Late” – both were really rockin’. He
closed his set with the crowd favorite, “Exodus.”
There was a roar
when veteran Michael Rose hit the stage.
He sang hit after hit from his days with Black Uhuru, commencing with
“Shine Eye Gal.” His vocals sounded
fantastic, staying true to his very recognizable style.
 Buju lightens up the press conference
Day
2
Sunday started off
with a great press conference chaired by promoter Barbara Barabino. Several artists stopped by including Edee,
Leroy Sibbles, Pressure, and Etana. Before
long it was time to get organized and head off to the venue.
The first act I saw
performing this day was one of Jamaica’s
younger bands, Rootz Underground. They
have a driving hip-hop, dub stylee. I’ve
seen one of their videos on BETJ’s Saturday show called Wick’d. Check your local
listings for this fun show.
Then came the magnificent
Wailing Souls who played hit after hit from their long established
repertoire. They started off with
“Bandits.” Favorites included “Things
and Time,” “Firehouse Rock,” and the mega-hit “Shark Attack.” They closed with “John Shop,” which was redone
by the group Sublime and called “Pawn Shop.”
Leroy “Heptones”
Sibbles followed. One of the most
prolific influences and hit-makers of the rock steady era, Leroy thrilled the
crowed with classics such as “Party Time” and “The Book of Rules.’ Hailing from the US Virgin Islands, a young
singer called Pressure came onstage and delighted the audience. Amongst other songs, he performed his two hits
“Love and Affection” and “Ghetto Life.”
 Then it was time
for the man known as the Godfather of Dub and The Upsetter -- Lee “Scratch”
Perry stormed the stage adorned with bangles, buttons and lots of rings. This
classic reggae veteran performed very energetically, considering his 72 years
of age, his red beard accented by the stage lights. He performed a number of his songs from his
latest release Repentance. The crowd
was thrilled to see the reggae legend in action!
The time had come for
the highlight of the day, the long anticipated acoustic set by five-time Grammy
winner Stephen Marley. Steve came onstage
to resounding cheers and sat down behind his drum and a red, gold, and green
wrapped microphone stand. He waved to
the enraptured audience and launched into the gripping “Mind Control”. He really possessed a full sound for an
acoustic performance. The crowd,
including myself, was mesmerized by his set. Stephen closed with his
father’s “Could You Be Loved,” as in his days with Ziggy Marley and the Melody
Makers. For the finale, he was joined
onstage by his brothers Ziggy, Julian, and Rohan. It was a thrilling moment for all and the
maximum capacity crowd went wild. The
Marley sons scurried out to the bus right after the set and I had to wait quite awhile to greet them. It’s always worth the wait to get a hug! As a result, I missed part of the dynamic
dancehall activist Queen Ifrica, whose set was riveting. I missed Tony Rebel completely as I was
hungry and my older feet really hurt! I
send apologies to the fans for this.
Quite exhausted
from the two days, I headed back to my hotel room and collapsed. My body, mind, and soul fully infused with
reggae music. We thank everyone at Moss
Jacobs Presents and Ragga Muffins Productions for an excellent festival. You have managed to make this THE reggae event
of the year for the Los Angeles area, and all reggae fans truly appreciate it.
For more exciting pictures, click here!
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