COURTNEY STEWART/Daily Bruin Aida Murphy and
Anthony Burris dance to the rhythm of the Bobby
Matos Afro Cuban Jazz Ensemble.
COURTNEY STEWART/Daily Bruin Percussionist Def
Recklaw keeps the beat for the Dwight Rible Ensemble.
By Suneal Kolluri
Daily Bruin Contributor
On the first day of UCLA’s 15th Annual JazzReggae
Festival, the hip cats ripped totally chill solos; on the second
day, the reggae be jammin’.
Translation: the music was good.
On Sunday and Monday, the JazzReggae Festival brought over
30,000 people to UCLA’s Intramural field to lie out on the
grass and enjoy the quality music and exciting performances that
the jazz and reggae artists had to offer.
COURTNEY STEWART/Daily Bruin George E. Harper
of the Dwight Rible Ensemble performs on Saturday at the 15th
Annual UCLA JazzReggae Festival.
Along with the musical performances, numerous vendors set up
stands along each side of the field, offering a huge selection of
Jamaican food, hemp necklaces, smoking paraphernalia and Bob Marley
memorabilia.
On Sunday, six jazz groups took the stage for eight hours of
improvisational solos, passionate vocals and inspired music.
COURTNEY STEWART/Daily Bruin Mario Robinson
braids Tasha Ameena-Danvers‘ hair on the
reggae day of UCLA’s 15th Annual JazzReggae Festival.
The first group, the Keschia Potter Quartet, was led by
saxophonist and UCLA senior, Keschia Potter.
The second group, Dakah, played an interesting blend of
orchestral music, jazz and hip-hop. The innovative, yet unusual,
fusion worked well for the group as the crowd responded
enthusiastically to its music.
The Dwight Trible Ensemble played jazz with an Afro-Cuban
influence as Trible’s passionate vocals and powerful voice
was backed by a tight rhythm section and numerous improvisational
solos.
The crowd finally got off its blankets to dance to the
percussive jazz music, with a considerable latin influence, of the
Bobby Matos Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble.
The final two performances, the Nicholas Payton Quintet and the
headliner, the Kenny Garret Quartet, played a more traditional sort
of jazz, consisting of improvisation and a smooth, tight rhythm
section.
CATHERINE JUN/Daily Bruin Andrew Kemble sells a
beanie at the 15th Annual UCLA JazzReggae Festival.
On Monday, the reggae day, a celebratory sense of cultural pride
rang clear through all of the performances. Each of the performers
spoke proudly of their Jamaican, African and Rastafarian
heritages.
Audience members skanked mellowly with a joint in hand and no
shoes on their feet. Each band delivered smooth reggae music to an
eager crowd.
Highlights of the reggae day included a performance by Mad
Cobra. His tough, raw reggae style excited the audience.
Tony Rebel’s inspired, powerful voice made for an exciting
set. He got the audience to sing along with his cover of Bob
Marley’s “No Woman No Cry.”
Buju Banton, with more No. 1 singles than any other reggae
artist, closed out the festival. He energized a relaxed crowd with
a soothing rhythmic vocal delivery.
The JazzReggae Festival brought a relaxed, euphoric atmosphere
inspired by the mellow styles of the music played at the festival.
For two days, the festival offered a symphonic escape for members
of the UCLA community.