The following three articles are, in the main, reviews of the Sierra Nevada World Music Fest (SNWMF). The first is more of a comparison of SNWMF and Reggae on the River (RotR). It was written in 1996 some months after I'd attended both events. The remain two articles are the impression I brought home from SNWMF. Stageside with Two Irie Vibes by Papa Pilgrim The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival and Reggae on the River have little and lots in common: both take place adjacent to Northern California rivers, both are predominately Reggae celebrations, and both feature top ranking entertainment and plenty of arts, crafts and Ital food. This year they were held about 200 hundred miles and six weeks apart (late June and early August). The former was at Riverfront Park in Marysville, California (near Sacramento); the latter nine miles south of Garberville, California (and 200 miles north of San Francisco) in the heart of Humboldt County's giant Redwood forest. The greatest separation, however, is a decade of experience. Reggae on the River celebrated a mature 12th anniversary while Sierra Nevada is a youthful two years old. Marysville's Riverfront Park is located at the confluence of the Yuba and Feather Rivers. The concert site is a man made amphitheater doubling as a flood basin. For four months preceding the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, the basin was just that, flooded with up to five feet of water which did not begin subsiding until a few days prior to the June 23rd Festival kickoff. Shade was at a premium in the 100+ degrees heat, Femi Kuti (son of Fela), took the stage at about 8pm and Africa Fete prevailed. Mali's Oumou Sangare, Haiti's Boukman Ekperyans and Senegal's Baaba Maal filled the evening with drums and dancers, providing a skanker's delight. A secondary stage headlining Inka Inka and local favorites provided early Saturday and Sunday entertainment for those braving the heat. On the main stage, the Amandla Poets, based in San Francisco with roots in South Africa, started the Reggae rhythms proper, making way for Culture, the (original) Heptones and Third World. Saturday was a Reggae fan's delight but Sunday was my day. This was my first time to see Reggae troubadour Lasana "the Storitela" Bandele and Eddie Fitzroy perform in this country and to also witness the return of Blue Riddim. Once widely and wildly touted as America's best ever Reggae band, Blue Riddim was forced into early retirement until legal entanglements were unraveled. All's well now and Blue Riddim is on a roll. Massawa, Eek-A-Mouse, the Mighty Diamonds and Lucky Dube rounded out the day and the festival. The youthfulness of the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival manifested itself in several ways. Uniformed police, though friendly and not looking for trouble, did stroll throughout the area resulting in some paranoia. Staff persons were well-meaning but often misleading in their efforts to help. Stage management could have been tighter and, dare I mention the sound. At several points the between set delays extended past 60 minutes and Sunday experienced an even longer delay as the entire sound system was torn down and replaced. On the up side, most folks came away feeling well-treated, well-entertained and looking forward to the 3rd Annual. One irie vibe! Reggae on the River began twelve years ago to raise rebuilding funds for the arson caused destruction of the Mateel Community Center. Today, tickets go on sale before the line up is completed and fans know that they are going to have a good time. On the banks of the Eel River, affording dippers, skinny and otherwise, a place to cool off between sets, Reggae on the River was this year blessed with moderately hot (it can be "scorching hot") temperatures and a gentle breeze. Traditionally held the first weekend in August, this year saw an expanded three day event. Friday night started with D'Cuckoo and ended with Roger Steffens' video presentation, "The Life of Bob Marley." Saturday, following an acknowledgment of the passing of local favorite Rod Deal, the festival began in earnest. Third World, the Wailers, Spearhead, the Skatalites (minus a recuperating Tommy McCook), Boukan Ginen, Raymond Myers, Native Son and Root Stock gave the fans little reason to sit as the rhythms flowed smoothly, and the set changes were brief. Sunday continued the rhythms with Maxi Priest, Michael Rose, Pato Banton, Alton Ellis, the Mad Professor and the Robotics Band with special guest Kofi, Majek Fashek, O.J. Ekemode, Edi Fitzroy, Massawa and Junglz Apart. Produced by People Productions, a spin off of Mateel Community Center, Reggae on the River utilizes more than 1,600 highly trained volunteers and a staff capable of rapidly smoothing the wrinkles associated with major concerts. Topmost though, regardless of who is on stage, is the aura of freedom that tolerates nudity, mud dancers, and an environment of peace, love and headbands. Reggae on the River is 10,000 friends gathering together to party. Sierra Nevada World Music Fest #3 Marysville, California June 21-22-23, 1996 Driving into the twin cities of Marysville and Yuba, California for the second consecutive June, I immediately noticed the temperate coolness. Last June mercury broke the 105F (41C) degree mark for both days. This year the thermometer was reading at least twenty points lower. Little did I realize that the cooler temperature augured for a warmer weekend. This year's Third Annual Sierra Nevada World Music Fest (SNWMF) had everything that last year's lacked and it all began at about 85 degrees. Friday: Third Wave ska kicked off this year's event. Mudsharks, Let's Go Bowling and Mumbo Gumbo filled the evening with unfamiliar vibes ramming to a somewhat familiar beat. My attention stage side was minimal as this was not "my kind of music," hence I'm not sure if The Skeletons made it or not. Car problems had them running more than an hour late. This was a time to tour the vendor's arc, renew old acquaintances and make note of improvements. Traffic flowed into the festival site much smoother than last year. Trained volunteers and experienced problem solvers at the main entrance handled ticket sales and the unexpected weird things that happen at events such as this, professionally and with seeming ease. Parking and camping facilities were plentiful and always near to either shade or a river at the appropriately named Riverfront Park. Campsite showers were a welcome improvement as were the flush toilets conveniently located near the vendor's area. Arts, crafts, food and trinket vendors were set in a loose semicircle atop a grassy bowl lined with a few shade trees and several shade producing tarpaulins. One such tarp featured a continuous misty spray of water, permitting celebrants a cooling view of the stage. Qualitatively, most vendors presented wares of distinction that were competitively priced. Mystic Lion was present with airbrushed designs and perennial festival goers, Trade Roots, seemed to have brought their entire San Diego shop with them. Backstage the staff and volunteers were hardworking and high spirited providing both the press and performers with welcomed hospitality. Saturday: Three docs (an obstetrician, surgeon and medical educator) and some friends, performing under the banner of Cosmos, demanded my immediate attention. This high energy, seven piece band out of the San Francisco Bay Area gave early arrivals a sufficient helping of American Reggae with rocking guitars on top of a drum and bass foundation. Lead vocalist, Cosmo (aka Cosmo Frazer, MD), led his band through a 70 minute set mixing originals with crowd pleasing cover tunes. Los Angeles based Boomshaka are consummate professionals and they did a consummate performance. Celebrating and on tour in support of their debut CD release _Freedom Now_. Once courted by Shanachie Records, Boomshaka is a strong band headed for a major label. Their Sierra Nevada performance showed that they are ready. The Heartbeat Culture Splash Tour brought the first international act to the stage. This tour, followed closely by reviewers posting to the Internet NewsGroup rec.music.reggae, has received rave up comments since day one. Knowledgeable reviewers from across the country spoke of each performance in superlative terms. Today's show proved worthy of the hype! The S.A.N.E (Sounds Against Negative Expression) Band did a performance sound check of two numbers. S.A.N.E backed all four Heartbeat performers with styles ranging from Ska to Ragga, with Rock Steady and Roots Reggae in between. Fans and fellow entertainers alike spoke highly of S.A.N.E., noting that the change in musical styles came easily. The Ska Man, Derrick Morgan, led off with one of my all time favorite tunes, "Mule Train." (A seven inch single of Frankie Lane's original version of this song was my first piece of vinyl). With such a lead in he could only go uphill, and he did with "Don't Call Me Daddy, " "Fat Man," and more than an hour's worth of classic Morgan. Roots harmony to the bone best describes the Meditations. Unfortunately, nature called (I was hungry). Thus roots music was the background to my wanderings and repast. I was renewed and refueled in time to catch Dub Nation. This Bay Area band has been creating an interesting ripple in the Reggae circles of Northern California. Six weeks after this event Dub Nation is slated to play at Reggae on the River. When a relatively new band is selected to appear at two major festivals in less than two months, my curiosity is aroused. Bassie Frank Caruso, drummer Scott Madden and lead vocalist Dale Mungaray, all former members of Inka Inka, form the backbone of this aggregation. Working heavily off of their debut release _One Great World_, Dub Nation kept the stage front massive on their feet, the skankers skanking and the dust beginning to rise. (Suggestion: Cover the stage front area with straw or hay that is periodically _lightly_ wet down). Sister Carol accompanied by a young male dancer (some said it was her son) and backed by S.A.N.E., gave a truly stellar performance. In the half dozen or so times I've seen Sister Carol, I've never quite seen her this comfortable and poised, singjaying with a strength and vitality befitting this Reggae superstar. She finished her set with "Wild Thing," a tune likely popular when most of the happy sing-a-longers were in elementary school. Funny thing, Michael Rose calling for and receiving a response on the "Ning ning woys." (That's his spelling). What if it meant....never mind. Suffice to say Michael worked this crowd and they loved it. His repertoire goes back a few years and he gave a goodly sample from his Black Uhuru days as well as his last three Heartbeat Records' releases. Rose is one of those performers who always looks as if they are enjoying themselves on stage. This time out he had too much fun and gave a thoroughly delightful show. Heartbeat Records put this Culture Splash tour on the road in early June, not really knowing how it would be accepted. Three weeks into the tour and the label reps, Chris and Garret are wearing perma grins, enjoying themselves to the max. The Heartbeat Crew must take at least partial credit for this highly successful tour. They are loyal fans of the music and could be seen mingling with the dancers, as happy as if they had purchased a $50 dollar festival ticket. Thank you Heartbeat-you deserve all the kudos being directed your way! Appearing well-dread, Burning Spear, interrupting a brief vacation after an exciting but grueling European tour, flew in from the four corners to wind up the day's happiness. Fit, animated and educational are appropriate descriptors for Spear and his band. Thirty years of "Rasta Business" hold this group in good stead. The material is always original and the vibe is always nice. So it was at Sierra Nevada. Sunday: Seattle is no stranger to Reggae music due in part to Jumbalassy, a hot and very popular Pacific Northwest band. Their opening of Sunday's lineup provided the early folks (1 pm) plenty of opportunity to stretch the skanking muscles. More than one of Sunday's audience was there specifically to see and here Jamaica's buried treasure, Justin Hinds . Backed by Dub Nation, a whole heap of happy people sang along to "Natty Nah Take Over," "Dip and Fall Back," "Carry Go Bring Come," as Hinds brought forth his classics from the vaults. His vocals were clear and strong, his movements were youthful and his vibe was absolutely right. I hope the worldwide promoters will take note that Justin received what I think was the festival's only encore. He is hot and he's ready to travel. The Skatalites, one of today's oldest and hardest working bands, took the stage without a recuperating Tommy Mc Cook but with a fully recovered Lester Sterling on alto sax. McCook is still under doctor's care following a successful operation on his heart and Sterling recently went under the knife for a brain tumor. Songstress Doreen Shaeffer fronted the band for several vocals as yet another class act treated fans to a show rooted in thirty plus years of worldwide performances. Big Youth, now referred to as Jah Youth by his peers, belied his fifty-two years as he skanked, smiled and sang his way through "Every Nigger Is A Star" from way back when, and "Run Come Look Inna Mi Bible" off of his newest album _Higher Grounds_. In between, more classics: "Ten Against One," "Greenbay Killing," "Hit the Road Jack," and more to edutain the mostly youth fans. Big Youth left the stage but the backing band, Danny Miller's Brooklyn based Calabash stayed to do the same for Junior Reid. Reid gave many of his recent hits including "One Blood," "Babylon Release the Chains," "Anthem" and "Listen to the Voices" after leading in with a medley of his oldies. Listening to two former voices of Black Uhuru, Michael Rose yesterday and Reid today, I and many others wondered aloud to what it would be like to hear these two in a combination duet. Toots Hibbert, still billed as Toots and the Maytals, was yet one more of Reggae's superstars commanding the Sierra Nevada stage. "Reggae Got Soul," and "Time Tough" graced my ears as time and space caught up with me and it was time to head for the parking lot. Across the bowl, past the vendors and through the parking lot the sound was crystal clear thank to Sacramento's Loud Sound. This was one to remember. From Mark (_the_ man at the front gate) to Prophet the back stage chef, this event was a winner. Shady, grass covered campgrounds, showers and flush toilets! Can't beat that, especially when the show was produced as well as this one. Strictly roots and pure culture reigned as the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival left a nice memory inside my head. ---Papa Pilgrim ---Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide [This review is copywritten and may be reprinted or reconveyed by any means as long as the source (rec.music.reggae) and the author (Papa Pilgrim, cofounder Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide) are properly cited.] Sierra Nevade World Music Festival: 1997 "Smooth" best describes the overall vibe of this year's Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (SNWMF) held at the Feather Riverfront Park in Marysville, California. Billed as a Summer Solstice Full Moon and World Peace Celebration, this year's event was an unqualified success from my point of view. Arriving at the main entrance about 4 pm Friday, I was met by polite and informative staff who, though harried and tired, took the time to answer my seemingly unending questions which ran the gamut from "How's it going" to "Where's the herb." Directions to campsites and backstage were confusingly accurate as I wandered amongst the stage crew who were busy tightening the final bolts and turning the last screws, while vendors finished unpacking crates and displaying their wares. Plenty of time to examine a sixteen page pamphlet published by Epiphany Artists, the show's producer. This written welcome, available to all, was crammed with artist's bios, a performance schedule, an area map and various tidbits on various subjects. This is the first I've seen of these at any large Reggae festival and the information therein added immensely to everyone's appreciation and understanding of the event. Gates opened at 5 pm Friday and by 7 pm the 4th Annual was well underway as Strictly Roots treated early arrivals to, what else, strictly roots music. Following the Long Beach Dub Allstars, Cuba's Los Van Van wrapped up ("mashed up" says it better) opening night. Showcasing Songo, a musical style defined as "an imaginative fusion of Caribbean rhythms with jazz and rock," Los Van Van's 15 members (including violinists and dancers) rocked the waterfront. Saturday morning's drive into Riverfront Park affirmed what I had already expected. The festival's parking lot extended further than previously noted suggesting that this was indeed the largest Reggae gathering yet seen by the City of Marysville which, incidentally, was known as "Irieville" throughout the weekend, validated by the on stage appearance of that city's Vice Mayor. Root Awakening, well-fit with Roots Tonic, the name of their debut CD, brought early skankers to stage front, close enough to listen to the words of Casper from Hopiland who followed close on the heels of Root Awakening. In a dancehall style that sometimes sounded of rap, and sometimes of dub poetry, Casper introduced his newest recording Original Landlord. "Children's Song," a track from that album was so powerful, that an hour after his performance, Casper was called to the stage to recite the lyrics. Ras Michael, Abyssinians and the Congos, back to back, was about as close as most of the youthful crowd had ever been to a Rasta Roots Session. Abyssinians Bernard Collins, Donald Manning and David Morrison, making a rare appearance in Northern California, thrilled fans and fellow musicians alike, highlighting classics taken from a long and respected career. The Congos, featuring Cedric Myton, Watty Burnett and Fabian Cook, did likewise on this, their first ever West Coast gig. Barrington Levy, ever the professional, did what he does best, turning in a set of his most popular. Israel Vibration, now a duo since Apple left to trod a separate path, were wildly accepted and highly praised for their usual high caliber performance. Disappointment of the evening turned out to be the Wailers Band. Billed as the "original" Wailers with the return of guitarist Al Anderson, the group sang Marley tunes in a lackluster fashion that did little to delay the departure of the rhythm-filled crowd. Mongoose, recently immigrated to Southern California from Canada where the band was known as Geoulah saw founding member Maimon, sharing the musical influences of his North African birthplace, opening Sunday's fest. Common Sense featured material from Psychedelic Surf Groove, the album that went on to a Virgin Records deal, making way for the South African born, San Francisco-based Amandla Poets. The Poets excel at entertainment and education and their set provided both with ease. Not one to miss a Reggae beat, Yami Bolo spent all three days at SNWMF, apparently enjoying himself immensely if his nonstop smiles were an accurate indicator. His excitement and exuberance followed him to the stage and he used both to thoroughly please many who were experiencing Yami's showmanship for the first time. He was backed by Dub Nation and was pleased that the band was there for him, note for note. Following Yami's set Dub Nation then entertained and well-please the crowd, making way for John Trudell. All of this, as good as it was, was for me just a warm-up. As heavy and exciting as the lineup was thus far, it was the LKJ Records Showcase that drew me to make the 1,400 mile roundtrip from Salt Lake City to Irieville. Dennis Bovell opened the set with an attention grabbing scream that riveted the massive to the beat of the 10 piece Dub Band. Showcased artists were jazz/Reggae guitarist John Kpiaye, saxophonist Steve Gregory and vocalist Winston Francis each of whom have recent release of their own. But this was Linton Kwesi Johnson's gig and he easily commanded attention, as he delivered an hour's worth of his strongest lyrics, daperly attired as expected in hat and two piece suit. Home now, relaxed and retrospective, I carry memories of a whole heap of fun and I am still infused with a large and healthy dose of irie vibes. Bottom line, mark the Summer Solstice weekend on next year's calendar, and ready, set, GO!