JazzReggae Festival’s Reggae Day celebrates Rastafarian culture

The 28th Annual JazzReggae Festival at UCLA continued Monday with Reggae Day, which presented a strong focus on traditional reggae music and Rastafarian culture. Posters of Bob Marley, T-shirts tie-dyed with red, green and yellow, and Rasta caps – oversized and colorful crocheted hats fashioned by the likes of Marley – flooded UCLA’s Intramural Field. Jamaican food vendors surrounded the perimeter of the field, transforming the sports complex into a celebration of Rastafarian music and culture.

The day started off with Fortunate Youth, a local roots reggae band from Hermosa Beach. The crowd was small at the beginning of the group’s act, but grew as more festival-goers arrived in anticipation of later acts such as Black Uhuru and Ky-Mani Marley.

“We’ve been listening to Black Uhuru since day one, so it is an honor to share the stage with them,” said Jered Draskovich, keyboardist and bassist of Fortunate Youth, after opening the festival. “It’s a beautiful day and we’re happy to be here jamming with everyone who’s jamming.”

Sister Carol was the second act to perform. She came on stage dressed in all white, including her Rasta cap, which contained her long mane of braided hair and thick white-rimmed sunglasses. Her booming deep voice commanded the attention of the festival. Sister Carol’s set featured a classical reggae sound, including songs off her new album “Live No Evil,” such as “Mama Earth.” Many audience members were standing up, swaying and dancing to the music as Sister Carol asked the crowd to show love.

Kevin Lyttle took to the stage in a Bruno Mars-esque outfit complete with fedora and vest, signaling he was going to change things up a little, which he did. Contrary to the previous, more traditional reggae performers, Lyttle’s sound fused pop and electronic influences as well as more contemporary-sounding vocals. He spoke to the crowd a lot throughout his performance, asking the audience to do everything from showing love to taking a selfie.

Following Lyttle, Gramps Morgan swept the crowd up in his set with his rich vocal performance. Morgan brought a cool vibe to the show as he bounced in time with the music while sporting shades and a “Rasta pride” T-shirt.

Black Uhuru’s performance was marked more for its musicality. They played a more rock ‘n’ roll set that married upbeat reggae rhythms with sharp guitar and beat-heavy drums. By the end of the performance, the crowd was singing back the lyrics of Black Uhuru favorites such as “General Penitentiary.”

As festival-goers waited in anticipation for Ky-Mani Marley to take the stage, they milled around the Intramural Field to check out the various vendors of ethnic food and Rastafarian merchandise. After grabbing a snack, participants had just enough time to check out Global Inheritance’s energy-efficient playground, which encouraged sustainable living as the various seesaws and running wheels were used to help power the concert.

When headliner Ky-Mani Marley ran on stage, the crowd got to its feet. The energy on the field was renewed as everyone began to sway and dance in time with Marley’s music. Halfway through Marley’s set, his son KJ Marley joined his father on the stage for an impromptu performance of “Armed and Dangerous.”

Marley then proceeded to play a number of songs from his album “Evolution of a Revolution.” The new material drew on his classic reggae sound while incorporating a more lyrical component. He elongated his notes, which blended well with the raspy nature of his vocals.

As the show drew to a close, Marley welcomed Morgan back on stage and the two brought an end to JazzReggae Festival 2014 with their rendition of the Bob Marley and the Wailers song “Could You Be Loved,” a fitting end to a welcoming weekend of music and culture.