It’s the Jazz and Reggae Festival!
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 23, 2002 9:00 p.m.
Daily Bruin File Photo A trumpet player sets the tone at last
year’s JazzReggae Festival.
By Shana Dines
Daily Bruin Reporter
[email protected]
Relocated from the beloved, but currently indisposed, Intramural
Field to Drake Stadium, the UCLA JazzReggae Festival 2002 has been
forced to drastically downsize. The UCLA Cultural Affairs
Commission committee in charge of the 16th annual Memorial Day
weekend celebration has worked hard, however, to compensate in
other areas for the shrunken festival.
Although the new venue will hold approximately half as many
people on Sunday for jazz and Monday for reggae as the IM field
could accommodate in the past, the move offers some positives as
well.
According to JazzReggae committee member Sarah Diebel, a
third-year anthropology student, Drake Stadium will provide a more
intimate setting than the festivals of the past. It will also offer
some shade from the weekend’s notoriously hot and sunny
weather.
“For Jazz Day, we never really sell as many tickets as we
like, so even if we don’t sell that many, it will still feel
fuller,” Diebel said. “With Reggae Day, it’s kind
of unfortunate because we’re not going to be able to let as
many people in. We’re definitely going to have to turn people
away.”
This inequality in ticket sales has been a recurring issue for
the festival. Reggae Day has consistently sold out, while Jazz Day
has never been able to do so. Despite the difference in price, this
trend continues. This year, Reggae Day tickets are $10, twice as
much as the $5 Jazz Day tickets. Students been admitted for free in
the past, but this year there will be a limit of 3,500 free student
tickets. After that, students will have to purchase tickets at the
regular price.
Diebel stressed that students need to go to the Central Ticket
Office in advance to pick up their passes. The CTO will be crowded
the days of the shows and there may or may not be tickets available
at the last minute.
The JazzReggae committee has been working especially hard on
Jazz Day in attempt to fill the gap between the two shows.
Committee member Nicole Heyman, a first-year world arts and
cultures student, said the artists they are bringing for Jazz Day
this year are better than lineups in past years.
Daily Bruin File Photo This year the JazzReggae Festival will be
held in the smaller Drake Stadium rather than the IM field, where
last year’s crowd congregated.
“We went to tons of jazz clubs, we’ve been flyering
everywhere around L.A.,” Heyman said. “We’re
really trying to hype up Jazz Day and fill it up, because Reggae
Day always sells itself out.”
Performing on Jazz Day will be Jimmy Smith, the Christian
McBride Band, Kahil El’zabar’s Ritual Trio featuring
Pharaoh Sanders, Phil Ranelin & Tribe Renaissance, Arkestra
Clandestina, and We-Bop.
Reggae Day will feature Barrington Levy, Junior Kelly, Sean
Paul, Notch (formerly of Born Jamericans), Benjy Myaz, Detour Posse
and Elijah Emanuel and the Revelations.
The unlikely pairing of jazz and reggae music has been going on
for 16 years now. Although jazz is considered the quintessential
American music and reggae was born in the islands, the two
different forms complement each other – giving the weekend festival
some musical variety. There are many similarities in the two
styles, such as their basic rhythms, while their differences in
instrumentation and lyrical elements set the two apart as
contrasting experiences.
Jazz performer Phil Ranelin sees the pairing as an essential
match. He recognizes an inherent connection between the two styles
of music, both originally stemming from African rhythms. Referring
back to the lacking popularity of Jazz Day as compared to Reggae
Day, Ranelin guesses that reggae is more popular with college
crowds because people can relate more to its beats.
“Jazz deals with the intellect more than some other
music,” Ranelin said. “The same kinds of rhythms are
involved in jazz, you just have to listen for it a little more.
It’s educational music.”
Diebel also sees generational differences between jazz and
reggae music.
“Reggae is more mainstrean, and has been made so by
current hip-hop and rap artists,” Diebel said. “Jazz is
generally for an older audience. The music itself is ageless,
though. It’s amazing music and it shouldn’t be limited
to just older people.”
If younger crowds came out and recognized jazz for its
complexity and influence in the music world, Diebel thinks they
could make themselves more well-rounded listeners, as jazz tells a
large part of the story of the history of American music.
In addition to the music, the UCLA JazzReggae Festival offers
plenty to fill the daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. time slot. There will be
a large number of cultural vendors selling food and crafts. Mostly
African and Jamaican, the crafts will include clothing, jewelry,
paraphernalia, artwork and more.
Taking into account the number of vendors, performers and
attendees at the JazzReggae Festival, it is the largest student-run
event at UCLA. This year, especially, the connection to the Los
Angeles community is going to be stressed more so than in the past.
It provides the cheapest music festival of its kind in the area and
has always been successful in extending past the student
community.
“It’s really hot and cheap, and you don’t have
to drive to get there,” said Diebel. “It’s a
good, really down-to- earth atmosphere. They’re really good
vibes, just with everyone chilling all weekend.”
Especially for students, though, the JazzReggae Festival is
cheap, fun and convenient – and it might just be more entertaining
than family barbeques. It’s a culturally diverse alternative
to the typical Memorial Day celebration.
Drake Stadium’s minimal seating capacity does put a
substantial limit on attendance. Those who are serious about
wanting to attend should get their tickets from CTO as soon as
possible and prepare themselves for a holiday weekend of rhythm and
African musical roots.
