Thursday, October 7, 2010

UCLA Jazz & Reggae Fest










By Shalana Dennis

A great way to spend Memorial Day weekend, the 2010 UCLA Jazz and Reggae festival was a two day celebration with top notch artists like Raphael Saadiq, Q tip, The foreign exchange, Bilal, Nas, Damian Marley, Barrington Levy, Cham, Tizzy, and Etana.This parade of renowned artists were accompanied by our local LA band Detour Posse.
Pulling over 30,000 attendees and packed by mid afternoon, the UCLA Jazz and Reggae festival has gained notoriety in the community of music lovers for its picnic-style seating, amazing musical performances, international food court, and diverse vendor booths selling anything from food, to clothing, jewelry, and imported items from Africa and the diasporas adding a sense of belonging and participation.
Veteran Dance-Hall Artist Barrington Levy gave an electrifying performance, doing all the famous hits that his fans love. Etana had the crowd singing along as she danced across the stage, while Cham had the whole crowd dancing and singing along.
Headliners Damian Marley and NAS, performed songs from their new collaboration album called Distant Relatives. The two music Icons worked really well together, making a Reggae-Hip Hop sound that meshed well together and came off strong. It is not the first time they have worked together however, NAS appeared on a track off of Damian Marley’s album Welcome to Jamrock in the song “Road to Zion” which won two Grammy awards. I truly believe they were the highlight of the show, and I’m looking forward to seeing what acts UCLA puts together next year!

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