(42 West) The 2011 edition of KCRW's World Festival continues with Reggae Night X: Tuff Gong Worldwide and Ziggy Marley Salute Legends of Reggae on Sunday, July 31 at 7PM. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of reggae at the Hollywood Bowl, Ziggy Marley and his band present a special evening honoring the biggest legends of reggae music.
Joining Ziggy are special guests the I-Threes (Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt), The Wailing Souls (not previously announced), Mighty Diamonds, Ras Michael, and host for the evening, KCRW's Jeremy Sole. Previously announced special guest Toots Hibbert is unable to appear due to a scheduling conflict.
I-Threes featuring Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, and Judy Mowatt, the most influential female singing group in the history of Jamaican music will reunite for Reggae Night X. Formed shortly after the departure of Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston from the Wailers, the I-Threes provided the rich harmonies for Bob Marley's performances.
Formed in Trench Town, Kingston, Jamaica, in the late-1960s, The Wailing Souls fuse the harmonies of Motown with the roots and dancehall sounds of reggae. Nominated for three Grammys, The Wailing Souls have ridden the crest of Jamaica's music for more than four decades. Still one of the most powerful forces in reggae with over 26 albums to date, The Wailing Souls still tour globally and record new songs with the vigor that they had singing in Kingston's Trench Town decades ago.
Fitzroy, "Bunny" Simpson, Donald "Tabby" Shaw and Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson formed The Mighty Diamonds in Trench Town in 1969. The trio has produced over 40 albums in their long career and toured the world extensively entertaining and educating the world with their sweet harmonies and conscious lyrics. Led by Tabby's soul-stirring tenor, their live show is a journey through the African Diaspora from gospel to R&B to roots reggae and dancehall. Remarkable for the fact that the three founding members have remained together for 41 years, The Mighty Diamonds continue to achieve stardom on their own terms, wrapping a militant message in some of the prettiest melodies around.
Ras Michael, one of the foremost exponents of traditional Nyahbinghi drumming and chanting, produces trance music with roots deep in the planet's most basic rhythms. Built on the groundbreaking efforts of Count Ossie to bring the traditional African-derived Rastafarian drumming style known as nyahbinghi into a more accessible and commercial context, Michael's music blends elegant poetry and raw, visceral power with touches of mainstream reggae, funk, electronica, gospel and even psychedelia.
Ziggy Marley, five-time Grammy winner, humanitarian, singer, songwriter, producer and Reggae icon, has had a fruitful career, in which he has released twelve albums to much critical acclaim. As front man to Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, the group released eight best-selling albums that garnered three Grammys. Ziggy's first solo album, Dragonfly, was released in 2003. His second solo release, Love is My Religion, won a Grammy in 2006 for Best Reggae Album. His third solo album, Family Time, scored him a 5th Grammy award for Best Children's Album. Ziggy released his 4th solo studio album, Wild and Free, earlier this month; the album currently holds the top spot on the Reggae charts.
By releasing his music independently on Tuff Gong Worldwide, Ziggy Marley is realizing one of his father's biggest dreams. Originally known as Tuff Gong International, the label was founded in 1965 by Bob Marley, with the vision of producing, distributing and promoting his music free from the constraints of corporate label politics. Decades before artist-owned record labels were commonplace, the legendary Bob Marley's vision was characteristically well ahead of its time.
