8^th Annual Monterey Bay Reggaefest

"…Monterey Bay Reggaefest brings the best to you in the music known as Roots, Rock Reggae…the music of the people, to the people and for the people…Reggae music is based upon love. It has no color and no class, no prejudice. The Roots music you see. So that is what the music come to do. To take out all the prejudice and the segregationist and all other things. For as the man say, this music is the truth music".
         - Ras Michael of Ras Michael and The Sons of Negus

A strictly cultural Rastafarian vibration reigned supreme at the 8th Annual Monterey Bay Reggaefest held on Labor Day weekend, August 31 and September 1, 2002 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. The word, the sound and the power of authentic Roots Reggae was served up hot and in first class manner by the innovative team of Andre & Pam Smith and the dedicated volunteers and staff of A&P Productions of Seaside, California. This year's festival offered a variety of the best Roots Reggae artists showcased on three festival stages with headline performances by Michael Rose, Mutabaruka, Freddie McGregor, Meditations, Don Carlos, Mikey Dread, Culture, Twinkle Brothers, Eek-A-Mouse and St. Croix's Midnite.

The beautiful and historic town of Monterey may have beckoned many to explore its beaches, art studios, restaurants and shops. But many festivalgoers chose to just relax at the venue, as the need for exploration could be satisfied by just taking a few paces to your left or right to discover an assortment of diversions such as the Rastafari Cultural Museum, Reggae Lounge and Patio Turf Club. Children were pleased to find a supervised play area and every appetite was filled with regional and Jamaican food, while those craving to shop were offered a wide selection of arts & crafts from around the globe. Master of Ceremonies Rocky Alan Bailey, who also celebrated his 61^st birthday at this year's event, and Tony Moses kept the program flowing smoothly with their spiritual recitations and insightful repertoire as they welcomed each stellar performer on stage. Massive Sound International, Robert Rankin and Spliff Skankin (host of Reggae Roadblock on Berkeley's free speech radio station KPFA) kept the vibes irie between sets spinning the latest roots & culture music.

Kicking off the festival on Saturday, August 31, 2002 was opening performances by Scholar Word, Dub Fx, Tchiya Amet, Soul Majestic, The Reggae Revolution and Roots Natty from Puerto Rico. Providing an awesome close to Saturday's show was a brilliant performance by former lead singer of Black Uhuru, the great Michael Rose.

When Scientist was securely back on the helm, Mikey Dread prepared to do songs from his brand new CD release, Rasta In Control on the Dread At The Control Label. Playfully, he reminded the audience that they could reach him on the Internet at mikeydread.com or at his record company, Dread At The Controls website site dreadatthecontrols.com and added that the ladies can touch him at his personal email address mikeydreadlocks@hotmail.com. Still playing to the ladies, Mikey then sang the tender love song, "You Don't Remember Me" (Tears On My Pillow) that he spiced up with a yardcore Reggae pulse and then transitioned into the likewise lovely R&B Soul standard, "If You Should Lose Me" (you lose a good thing) changing the words to, "If you should choose Jah Jah, you choose a good thing, If you should choose Rastafari, you choose a good thing." Mikey gave a special thanks to the promoters for making the last minute decision to include him, the Fully Fullwood Band, his special guest and friends on keyboards. He warmly remarked that, "it is nice to see support of Reggae music in this part of the world" and asked Reggae fans to "keep it up." Mikey said, "Reggae music is getting stronger in the United Sates, prime time exposure in your media, your electronic media, so we're gonna use the Internet and let them fret." He then gave a wicked treatment done in a dubwise style on his song "Dis A One" from his album, World War III. The song hails up the long time sound studios like King Tubby, Prince Jammy and dis a one was truly full of Roots and Culture, incorporating some wicked F/X from Scientist. Mikey went back to 1978-79 to do the song "Come Here Natty Dread" and "Black Starliner" all the while promising that he will never sell out to his Roots and Culture. He also did the song "S.W.A.L.K." (It's Over) and sang a portion of the song in Spanish which was a real hits with fans. With respect, Mikey Dread introduced on stage the king of traditional roots style Nyabinghi drumming and chanting Ras Michael from Ras Michael and The Sons of Negus. Mikey then invented the good-natured lyrics "two live Mike's dressed up in white" while Ras Michael laughed and sang along. In closing, Mikey Dread performed his song, "Break Down The Walls" (of Babylon) and gained cheers and applause from the audience.

Don Carlos and the Dub Vision band

The vision and the light came from a beautiful performance by Don Carlos and the Dub Vision band with Scientist at the control tower. Performing for the third time in a row on the Monterey Bay Reggae Festival stage, Don Carlos definitely "moved straight to the top" when he opened with his songs "Living In The City", "Ride On Christine", which Don always offers up a taste of Reggae a cappella style in the opening, and the beautiful "Prophesy." He coolly moved into the song "Johnny Cool" and topped it off with "Bully" (big bad bully) and "Rave Tonight" which rocked hard on a wicked instrumental set by the Dub Vision Band. While the crowd pleaded for their personal favorites from de Don's potent treasury of songs, he touched them with an original Black Uhuru style on the song "General Penitentiary" and also performed the songs "Ababajoni" (we love you) and my personal favorite, the wicked "Lazer Beam" (pass me the lazer beam and make me wipe out the wicked dem clean). As the crowd cheered for more, Don Carlos closed with the song, "Holiday" from his 1998 CD release, Seven Days A Week on RAS Records.

The Meditations

Coming to teach a Reggae lesson was the harmony trio the Meditations' Ansel Cridland, Danny Clarke and Winston Watson who freed up the old school vibes at this year's festival. The Meditations truly gave a wonderful performance as their pleasing harmony animated the crowd when they sang the songs, "Tricked", "Having Fun" and "Woman is Like A Shadow" all found on the Meditations, Deeper Roots, The Best of The Meditations released in 1994 on Heartbeat Records. They also performed the songs, "African Connection" and a cover of Bob Marley's "Black Man Redemption" done in fine Meditation style and which they say is "…the Meditations' biggest #1 hit and make the great legend Bob Marley send call us and this is a song we done with Bob Marley". Both "Black Man Redemption" and "African Connection" can be found on the Meditations' 1999 CD release, Ghetto Knowledge on Easy Star Records, the fledgling New York record label that has also successfully released work from Jamaican Reggae veterans Sugar Minott, Sister Carol and Triston Palma. Delivering a generous helping of hits, the Meditation rocked the crowd when they performed the song, "Jailhouse" from their 1992 Heartbeat Record release, Return of The Meditations. The Meditations closed their wonderful show with the songs "Jungle Feelings", "Fly Natty Dread" and ushered back on stage for an encore they closed their show with the song "Wake Up."

co-produced by Freddie McGregor. Lymie's smooth voice penetrated the soul when he performed the song "God Bless The Child" (who has his own) made popular by Blues singer Billie Holiday. Taking the Reggae reign was the original veteran Rastaman, Tinga Stewart who opened with the songs, "Take Time" (to know) and "I Am Aware of Love". Weaving a Reggae creation Tinga delivered a lovely medley of R&B standard on the songs "Just My Imagination" by the Temptations, "Since You Been Away", "Baby I've Been Missing You" and "Groove Me Baby". Tinga also shined when he performed the songs, "Tide Is High" written by the great Reggae legend John Holt and made popular by British female rocker Blondie, the love song, "Inside My Heart", Smokey Robinson's, "I Want A Love I Can Feel" and Al Green's "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart."

Deafening applause greeted the living legend Freddie McGregor as he appeared for the first time on the Monterey Bay Reggaefest stage backed by the Millennium Band. Freddie opened his show with a truckload of his most loved songs including "Down By The River", "If You Want To Go" and "Africa Here I Come". Never letting the Reggae vibe go, he performed "To Be Poor Is A Crime", "Prophecy", "Push Come To Shove" and "Stop Loving You". Freddie McGregor turned up the heat when he performed the songs "Uncle Sam" and "Loving Jah" from his new VP Records release, Anything For You. Freddie McGregor made a special dedication to the Right and Honorable Dennis Emanuel Brown (1957-1999) singing the songs of The Crown Prince Of Reggae, "Love and Hate" and "Revolution" which he devotes to Dennis Brown, to keep his memory and music alive. Brought back on stage for an encore, Freddie McGregor performed the popular songs "Big Ship" and "Fever". Judging from the audience applause, Freddie McGregor's performance was truly one the highlight of this year's Monterey Bay Reggae Festival.

Yes, it was a voice that if you listen carefully, you will hear yourself when Mutabaruka and the Skool Band shocked out when they opened the show with the songs "Time We Realize" and "The System" (is a fraud). A prelude to the song, "Junk Food" came when Mutabaruka educated the people when he frankly discussed the habit of meat eating and the detriment to the human body, saying

"People talk about they love animals…you love your poodle but you don't love the cow? You love your Rottweiler but you don't love de goat? People paring that they love animals but they eat animals. A lot of people don't realize that they are eating dead animals. In your Wopper, you know why they call it Wopper, you're eating dead animals. Those little bones in your plate are dead animals. The same animals that you pass on the street, when they are dead and you move away from them you put them in your plate and in your little two burgers and eat them and call them burgers. It's dead animals you're eating. How would you like some one to eat your poodle? Tell me!! Can you imagine, in India they don't eat the cow. Can you imagine the Indian starting to eat poodles and your Rottweiler end out in some McDonald's burgers. And we sit here and we eat all of these dead animals and make our stomach become cemeteries. Your belly is a living cemetery for dead animals. That is not wise. It's a serious, serious thing. That is why there is so much blood-letting in the world because human blood is mixed up with animal blood and there is a point where you don't know the difference between the actions of men and the actions of animals because you are eating dead animals. Everyday, you go to the biggest drug house in the world called McDonald's and Kentucky and Burger King. These people are selling you drugs to kill you quick! That is why they call it fast food! It kills you quick! And they trick you with their ninety-nine cents believing that you are saving a one-cent. Americans are hooked on ninety-nine cents. Everything is one dollar ninety-nine and two dollar ninety-nine and ninety-nine cents. No one picks up a one cent off the ground. So they are tricking you. The fast food business is the biggest business in the world. It kills more people than any other thing that is why you have so much obesity in America. Obesity is a main problem right now, so we say they call it fast food, we call it Junk Food."

"You know they say that man descended from monkeys. But when we look what taking place in the world, the monkeys must be embarrassed because of the actions of men. Especially men! Dis is a world of f--ked up men. Yeah! It is middle-class white men that is f---ing up the world! Yes! Middle-class white men. They have no respect for woman. None atoll. That is why you hear them talking about God the father, God the son and God the Holy Ghost. What the f--k is a ghost doing in that. It is God the Father, God the Child and God the Mother. Yes! Because we have to have some woman in the mix. Some feminine energy in the mix. So we can't just have father, son and ghost. They turned the woman into a ghost. You understand? So we burn down duppy story! We not into the ghost story business. Woman is the creator of all living things. All men and all women on earth, it is woman everybody come from. So we have to respect the womb of the woman. So these people who claim that they come from monkeys, the monkeys must be embarrassed for what they doing to the world. So much pollution and destruction, so much wars and rumors of wars and nation rising against nation and all these things going on in the world because of these f--ked up men. So we want all the men inside here to turn to the nearest woman beside you and say, I am sorry for f--king up the world. (crowd laughs). You see dem laugh? Dem laugh! Ras clot! I personally am sorry for f--king up the world, because I am also a man and I am begging all women in here, pardon. And above that, you will see with me and understand my plight of being a big man. Yes. It is a serious thing. They tell you about Virgin Mary and all these things. It's a lie dem telling! Which woman in here that have a child that is a virgin? Show me hands! No woman inside here that have a child is a virgin. So it is a lie dem telling 'pon Mary. Caa' it is the same thing that dem tell you that it is woman bring sin into the world. It is a lie dem telling on the woman. That is why religion is so f--ked up! All of religion oppresses woman because religion was created by insecure men to oppress woman. Yes! Every religion in the world oppresses woman. That is why we have to move from religion and go into we self and understand the womb and the consciousness that binds that womb that brings forth life in all its forms and all its energy. So we have to give thanks for all the wombs inside here because if it wasn't for that womb we wouldn't be here with this energy. So we have to go into ourselves and find that feminine energy and release that energy because the world needs some feminine energy. Yes! Too much man, man, man, man and masculine and male macho business. We need some feminine energy in the mix! Yes! Man tell you about God is he, what happen to the she God. Just he, he, he do this and he do that. What happened to the she. She must be sitting up their and vex no Ras! She must be vexed because she sit there and say, 'why every time them talking about he this and he that, what have I done?' I want to call on all the men inside here to release your feminine energy and understand that the compassion and the love that we search for lies in that feminine energy and we have to release it in our consciousness today. Because Mr. Bush and Osama Bin Laden and all these mad crazy people is trying to get us involved in their mix up mix up. And we must not allow ourselves to get mixed up in all of these things because we are here together. Right now, we are here together. There is no God in the sky, if God was in the sky the Russians and the Americans would find him long time. If you want to know where God is, just take a look beside you So, we talk about the monkey and the monkey have to speak his mind."

Muta mashed up the place when he performed the song "The Monkey" (speaks his mind) from Mutabaruka's first album in 7 years, Life Squared on Heartbeat Records. Muta also performed "Time We Realize" from the same album and followed with the song, "Bone Lies." Earth shaking applause and cheers closed Muta's show when he performed his most powerful verse "Dis Poem" which says,

"Dis poem shall speak of the wretched sea that washed ships to these shores. Of mothers crying for their young swallowed up by the sea. Dis poem shall speak of time, time unlimited time undefined. Dis poem shall call names. Names like Lumumba, Kenyatta, Nkrumah, Hannibal, Akenaton, Malcolm, Garvey, Haile Selassie. Dis poem will not be amongst great literary works, will not be recited by poetry enthusiasts, will not be quoted by politicians….Dis poem is knives, bombs, guns, blood fire blazin for freedom. Yes dis poem is a drum, Ashanti, Mau Mau, Ibo, Yoruba, Nyahbingi Warriors, UHURU, UHURU, UHURU, Namibia, UHURU Soweto, UHURU Afrika. Dis poem will not change things. Dis poem needs to be changed. Dis poem is a rebirth of a people. Arising, awaking, understanding. Dis poem speak, is speaking, have spoken. Dis poem shall continue even when poets have stopped writing. Dis poem shall survive you, me, it shall linger in history, in your mind, in time forever. Dis poem is time, only time will tell. Dis poem is still not written. Dis poem has no poet. Dis poem is just a part of the story -- his-story her-story, our-story, the story still untold. Dis poem is now ringing, talking, irritating making you want to stop it but Dis poem will not stop. Dis poem is long cannot be short. cannot be tamed, cannot be blamed. The story is still not told about dis poem. Dis poem is old, new. Dis poem was copied from the Bible, your prayer book, Playboy magazine, the New York Times, Readers Digest. the CIA files, the KGB files. Dis poem is no secret. Dis poem shall be called boring, stupid, senseless. Dis poem is watching you trying to make sense from dis poem. Dis poem is messing up your brains, making you want to stop listening to dis poem. But you shall not stop listening to dis poem. You need to know what will be said next in dis poem. Dis poem shall disappoint you -- because Dis poem is to be continued in your mind…in your mind…in your mind…your mind…".

The Monterey Bay Reggae Festival continued on Sunday, September 1^st with opening performances by Leroy Mabrak, Wadi Gad, Native Elements with Dan-I Spencer and Humble Soul, Sister I-Live, Earl Zero, Della Grant and Dubwise and closing the show was a wicked and wild performance by the raggamuffin cowboy, Eek-A-Mouse.

Highlights of the Sunday show came with a soldier like performance from Fitzroy 'Bunny' Simpson and Lloyd 'Judge' Ferguson of the Mighty Diamonds who performed without lead singer Donald 'Tabby' Shaw . Judge and Bunny opened the show with the songs, "We Got To Live Some Life", "Mr. Body Guard", "Heavy Road" and stepping down memory lane they sang the song "Right Time Come.

The Twinkle Brothers

Always in fine style was Norman Grant and Ralston Grant of the Twinkle Brothers who sang their most powerful songs including, "Babylon Falling", "I Don't Want To Be Lonely Anymore" and "Since I Throw The Comb Away". Never letting the energy level falter, the Twinkle Brothers also sang, "Praise His Name" (in the dancehall) and "Faith Can Move Mountains." Norman told the crowd that, "We're gonna give you all the classics. All the hits. We started out 1962, so we are in year 2002, so that make it 40 years since my brother and myself been doing it, from 1962, yeah! We still de're. So we like to take you way back when I did my first song, this is what we did" and they broke into the song, "Please Help Me" (to find my love), a Ska driven tune that gave Norman and Ralston a chance to show off their wicked high-stepping moves. Bringing us safely back to the present time, Ralston Grant performed the song "Weeping and Wailing" from the Twinkle Brothers new CD release, Will This World Survive on the Twinkle Label. Norman tells the crowd that, "We try to mix it up, we taking songs from the first album to our latest album. Twinkle Brothers found their roots very early." Then they launched into a retrospective of songs including, "Give Rasta Praise" (Jah Rastafari A Dread), "Only One Head You Got", "Never Get Burned" (or eaten by no worms), "Africa Free" and "Don't Forget Africa" (don't forget Ithopia) as bass player Dub Judah did a wicked lick on the guitar. By popular demand, the Twinkle Brothers were ushered back onto the Monterey Bay Reggae Festival stage for an encore. Norman Grant told the audience, "We like to do a song that we did on our first session that we had the pleasure of spending our own money to produce ourselves and this is a love song, because we make love, not because we are a Rasta man, we love to make love, O.K? This one is especially for all the daughters, for all the princesses, all the queens and especially for the mothers." Then they moved into the lovely, "Sweeter She Is." Keeping in the old days, they continued the show with "Beat Them Jah Jah" (Jah Jah gonna beat you, because you know that you wrong) where amusingly Norman forgot the words and asked brother Ralston to sing his part. Closing their fabulous show, the Twinkle Brothers sang "Rasta Pon Top" (de wicked gone drop) and Ralston provided a strictly 'rub-a-dub' stylee to their closing song.

Roots and Culture music of Queens and Kings came from the highest regions of Kilimanjaro and the hills of Mt. Zion when the St. Croix group Midnite made a brilliant showing at this year's Monterey Bay Reggae Festival. Brothers Vaughn Benjamin (lead vocalist) and Ron Benjamin (keyboards/arranger) led a strictly Rastafarian gathering when they performed the spiritually delivered song, "Old Robe" from their recent CD release, Assini -- A Midnite-I Grade Collaboration. Like ancient architects of word, sound and power Midnite continued their journey into Rasta mysticism and light performing a series of songs that transported the audience into a heavenly realm of the spirit world of our ancient ancestors as they performed the songs, "Bushman" and "Ras To The Bone" the latter from their CD, Jubilees of Zion on Afrikan Roots Lab. Lightening the vibe and bringing the audience back to earth, Midnite performed the vibrant, "Love The Life You Live" and "Love Right, Live Right". Breaking it down, Midnite continued their set performing the awesome "Ras For A Reason" and the conscious Rasta love song, "Late Night Ghetto". Displaying a wonderful versatility of style, Ron Benjamin did a solo on the warm and sincerely delivered "New Life" (look what Jah Jah gave me, new life, a brand new little baby).

Midnite

Midnite also delighted the crowd when they performed the high energy song, "Mama Africa" from their 2001 CD release, Unpolished on the Rastafaria Label and slowed it down for a lengthy offering of the beautiful "Jah Ovah" from their CD, Seek Knowledge Before Vengeance. Like a whispering wind, Midnite was gone and though the crowds cheering and applause seemed to go on forever, Midnite's final closing words came from Vaughn Benjamin who softly said, "World and people so we speak. Live and manifest it if you seek." Midnite was definitely a highlight to the 8^th Annual Monterey Bay Reggae Festival and a tremendous addition to the chronicles or Roots and Culture artists. Give thanks!

Blessed Love