With the release of “Mind Control,” the debut chart-topping CD from the second son of Reggae’s original lion, Stephen Marley raises the bar and sets the standard for the future of Reggae music. Not bothered by the inevitable comparisons of looks and sound to his famous father, Stephen is honored by the resemblance and proud to deliver the same message of love, unity, and awareness that made Bob Marley a household name.
Personally, this is one CD I cannot listen to enough. From first hearing the title track, you know that this is going to be a breakthrough album. Each song that follows is a musical journey that permits the listener to become intimate with its creator. Stephen is fearless in displaying his political and social consciousness, as well as exposing a personal vulnerability seldom witnessed in Reggae music. Continue reading Stephen Marley: The Angry Lion Takes Control 2010→
Julian Junior Marvin of Bob Marley’s Wailers at Philly’s Ardmore Music Hall, Feb. 1, 2019
By M. Peggy Quattro
February brought the kick-off of Julian Junior Marvin’s “Message of Love” tour 2019. The famed Wailers lead guitarist presented two sold out shows in Philadelphia (Feb. 1) and Washington, DC (Feb. 2). The band of talented musicians and singers were warmly welcomed inside Philly’s Ardmore Music Hall and DC’s Hamilton Live.
Featured on stage with Junior Marvin are Drix Hill and Samuel “Earth” Maxwell on keys, Dino Yeonas on guitar, Stephen Samuels on bass, Ken Joseph on drums, Brother Fitzroy James on percussion, and harmony songbirds Simone Gordon and Hassanah Iroegbu.
Both shows were billed as Bob Marley Birthday Celebrations and the fans and friends who joined in the party were not disappointed. From “Exodus” and “Could You Be Loved” to “Waiting in Vain” and “Three Little Birds” and all the favorites in between, Junior delivered a passionate and personal performance, telling the audience BMW stories and encouraging sing-alongs.
Miami – May 8, 2016 — The weather was perfect, the music was sweet as hundreds of fans flowed through Wynwood Yard for this special Mother’s Day show. The House of Marley, an eco-friendly brand of personal electronics, brought together two Reggae superstars – the genre defying Ky-mani Marley and the hottest new Reggae revivalist, Chronixx.
Wynwood Yard is a slice of Jamaica in the middle of the bustling Miami metropolis. Fab food, merch booths, & bars offering Red Stripe and Guinness surrounded the gravelly yard, while the stage was planted firmly on the NW 29 St. side. I would only request next time that the stage be a foot or two higher so the crowd in the back could actually see the show. Front stage was tightly packed with fans of all ages, shades, and cultures eager to sing and dance along with the eagerly awaited performers.
Photo by David I Muir
Ky-mani brought his hottah Konfrontation band, featuring two female singers who were simply entertaining to watch. Ky-mani kicked off with his father’s “Who the Cap Fit” and “Concrete Jungle,” which got the crowd fired up. He talked to the crowd and wished all the mother’s dem a happy mother’s day, which delivered a roar from all the women there. He turned out a super-energetic performance while delivering songs off his latest album, Maestro. Fans sang along with “Keepers of the Light” and “Love Over All” while Ky-mani danced and twirled around the very small stage. Continue reading “Get Together” – Chronixx & Ky-mani Marley a Massive Success→
Third World, Marley brothers Jo Mersa and Yohan, and Big Harvest delivered the Roots Rock Reggae, while Miami’s 10-piece band The Baboons brought the hot Latin, Funk, Pop, and Caribbean groove. Between sets, DJ Gravy and DJ Tom Laroc kept the music spilling into the iconic North Beach Bandshell on Miami Beach. This music-filled Day at the Beach was sponsored by CAC, LargeUp, and Blackwell Rum.
The Bandshell is a Miami Beach treasure. It holds less than 1000 people, and offers the opportunity to be directly stage-front, witnessing the performers only a few feet in front of you. As usual, it was a peaceful, fun congregation, similar to a big family reunion. For the $20-30 ticket price, I expected the place to ram. Fortunately for those present, there was plenty of room for skanking and a pre-celebration of the 4/20 unofficial holiday.
The West Palm Beach waterfront festival was full of fun, food, and music!
Words & Photos by M. Peggy Quattro
Video & Social Media by Arielle Quattro
This year, the trek to West Palm Beach (WPB) from Miami was by Tri-Rail. As first timers on the two-tier train that rides alongside the 10-lane I95 expressway, we enjoyed the special SunFest $5 fares, an added bonus to the hands-free, gasless, mindless commute.
Damian Marley at SunFest WPB 2015
Downtown Palm Beach was all abuzz with festival activities. A favorite for South Floridians, SunFest draws all ages, races, and nationalities, men, women, kids, and millennials sporting the latest fashion trends. But it’s the music that brings them to the waterfront fest every year, for the five days of top names from all musical genres and the best in local talent. This Saturday drew me in with two acclaimed Reggae acts – Grammy-winner Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, aka Zilla, and the Grammy-nominated Washington, DC-based band SOJA. Continue reading Damian Marley & SOJA Sail into SunFest 2015→
Reggae X: Ziggy Marley’s Tribute to the Legends at the Hollywood Bowl
Presented by Tuff Gong Worldwide and KCRW
Words by Carlene Founder
Los Angeles, CA -The LA weather was invitingly warm on July 31, 2011. The Hollywood Bowl was alive. Busses were still pulling in, fans still climbing the hill, and TV cameras were all over covering what was happening on the stage. People were upbeat and packed down with everything they thought they would need for the evening, from sandwiches and cold beer to cheeses and warm wine. Incense was in the air and its white clouds hung in whiffs between the bodies. Before the sunlight went dim, the concerts host, KCRWs Jeremy Sole, introduced himself and the nights first performers, Ras Michael and the Sons and Daughters of Negus. Continue reading Ziggy Tribute to Legends Hollywood Bowl→
Words and photos by Lee Abel Nkulee Dube
San Francisco, CA – South Africa-based Nkulee Dube delighted Californians in Santa Cruz, San Francisco and Berkeley during July, on what was her first U.S. tour. She was ably supported by her own wonderful band. Many who came to see the 26-year-old singer/songwriter were curious about the great Lucky Dube’s daughter. She did not disappoint.
Nkulee possess a strong voice with a natural beautiful melodic tone. She has managed to fuse ethno-soul and jazz with ethno-ragga in a true African stylee. She’s charismatic and joyous, with a command of the stage far beyond her age and experience. Like her father, Nkulee danced with members of the band. But, unlike Lucky, she also invited the audience on stage to show off their own moves. Continue reading Nkulee Dube – Berkeley, CA Show→
The Love Within the Music Tour 2011
By M. Peggy Quattro / Photos by Don Parchment
Beres receives roses from a fan
Theres no more beloved Reggae singer and performer today than Beres Hammond. For more than 30 years, Beres has given 100 percent of his energy and love to writing, recording and performing. He has been quoted as saying that he’s happiest when in his convenient home recording studio. Well, after witnessing the outpouring of love and affection on July 29, 2011, inside the 5500-seat Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL, all bets are on that the stage is his second happiest place.
Performing for thousands of loyal South Florida fans was the perfect way to kick off the eastern USA leg of the Love Within the Music Tour. The show began promptly at 8 p.m. with Brooklyn-based singer and dynamo Ed Robinson. His energetic performance included his Number One hit Our Heroes, as well as paying tribute to greats Dennis Brown with If I Follow My Heart and Bob Marley with Talking Blues.
At 9 p.m. the ladies went wild when Wayne Wonder strolled on stage in a dark blazer, jeans, and his trademark dark shades. Flashing that winning smile, he began with Its All Right, a Donovan Germain-produced hit for Penthouse. Mr. Germain was in the house, so Wayne added another Penthouse hit, The Saddest Day of My Life. Choosing from an extensive song catalogue, the sexy crooner launched a mini-version series of I Dont Know Why, Live and Learn, and Forever Young, displaying his DJ prowess by also filling in the Buju Banton and Louie Culture parts. Upon dedicating this to “my favorite girl,” Wayne Wonder went into Search Dem Search over screams from the enthusiastic audience. He introduced his new love ode, If I Ever, with a moving vocal, and closed his set with the popular No Letting Go.
Beres – King of Lover’s Rock
After a short set change, and a rocking DJ set of current and past hits, you could feel the charge in the air. The man of the night was about to appear and the crowd cheered in anticipation. As Beres Hammond sauntered on stage, the Hard Rock Live erupted into screams. Looking fine in his black leather cap, jeans, soft tangerine-colored patterned jacket, and leather shoes, Beres greeted the crowd and began a series of short song snippets. The jacket came off immediately to reveal a loose white linen shirt; however, the most attractive part of his attire was that beaming smile. Beres truly loves performing on stage and it shows in every song, every step, and the crowd went wild. No Disrespect, What One Dance Can Do and She Loves Me Now were full of fun and energy. He playfully led the audience with Falling in Love (All Over Again) and adeptly filled in for his friend Buju, Dancehall style, on the wildly popular Stay Longer. A touching moment was when he asked the crowd if they remembered the great Garnet Silk before launching into Mama Africa.
With hundreds of hits to choose from, Beres offered up as much as time would allow. In between Come Back Home, Tempted to Touch, Sweetness, Putting Up Resistance, and Groovy Little Thing, he blew kisses to crowd and smiled at the adoring throng of ladies who pushed to the front waving and offering bouquets of long-stem red roses. Double Trouble saw Beres offering up his famous skank as he held out the microphone for his fans to sing along.
The band and back-up singers were in top form also. Coming to the front of the stage, they contributed lead guitar, bass, sax, and trumpet solos, which brought more excited screams of approval. In a moment of Beres humor, he spoke with the audience and told them: “If everyone would vote for me [as president], no one would need visas to come up here,’ perhaps a reference to the missing Harmony House Singers.
Wayne Wonder
During Pull Up the Vibes, Beres took a minute to show off his multi-talents. He took a short spin on the drums and played on the bass players axe with drumsticks; a short and sweet presentation, but enough to have the Hard Rock massive cry out ‘can you play some more?!’ As he flirted throughout Feel Good, Beres had every lady wishing they were dancing to this Reggae song with the subtle sensual singer. Beres slowed it down with an emotional No Disturb Sign while Love Means Never To Say Im Sorry had the audience passionately singing along.
Beres continued to tease and draw in the ladies with They Gonna Talk, while throwing mad kisses and smiling his mega-watt smile. With no shortage of songs left to performand no time left to perform themBeres brought the show to an end with the classic feel-good Rockaway. Hesitant to leave the love and unity, Beres disappeared stage left with an a capella tribute, singing How do you say thank you.for all you need is love they say no more time
We give thanks to Redline Media Group and Hard Rock Live for bringing South Florida fans a memorable night of Love Within the Music.
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Personally, this is one CD I cannot listen to enough. From first hearing the title track, you know that this is going to be a breakthrough album. Each song that follows is a musical journey that permits the listener to become intimate with its creator. Stephen is fearless in displaying his political and social consciousness, as well as exposing a personal vulnerability seldom witnessed in Reggae music. Continue reading Stephen Marley: The Angry Lion Takes Control 2010 
