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Reggae Month 2013 - Week One

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Reggae Month 2013 - Week One

Reggae Month 2013 - Week One

By Steve James on Thursday, February 28, 2013 - Photos by Steve James - 1 comment

Bob Marley's birthday celebration, from Mento to Reggae.

Reggae Month 2013

In celebration of reggae month, several weekly concert series were planned. The first in this series was fittingly on Bob Marley’s birthday, Wednesday, February 6th. This showcase was titled from Mento to Reggae. The star studded lineup can be viewed with even more significance, when one considers that the talents on display were all at no charge. Some performers chose to do a few of their original pieces, but almost all chose as well to draw on songs from Bob Marley’s vast catalogue. The individual interpretations were well received by the crowd, who knew most of the words of Bob’s songs.

Some of the performances included the Edna Manley College String Ensemble; another was the Energy Plus and a Mento Band. Ska Rebirth the young band from the Alpha Boys School gave the audience a performance to remember that brought the patrons back to the days of the original Skatalites. Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus who seldom perform in Jamaica delivered options from their numerous hits, which included None of Jah Jah Children. It was clear that although some members of the audience were familiar with the songs, the greater pleasure was the rare distinction of seeing the group’s live performance on local soil. The newest Marley to grace the stage, Fabian Marley also captured the audience. Billy Mystic and the Mystic Revealers also captivated the audience with their performances.

The first show in the series was brought to a close by singer/actor Billy Wilmot and the Mystic Revealers. The show which is to be held weekly for the month of February attracted a wide cross section of patrons to the event.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Bob Marley museum came alive as persons gathered to celebrate the 68th birthday of the King of Reggae. Located at 56 Hope Road in Kingston, the museum attracted several visitors on the day. Radio stations broadcasted live from the location and Rastafarian drummers chanted for several hours. The high esteem with which Bob is held was evident from the number of artistes who turned out at the venue to pay their respect to the Gong. It was a great start to reggae month and patrons can look forward to month a fun filled events.