2008 Woodie Awards
Marley legacy lives on at annual music festival
Christian Millan
Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: City Style
The 27th year of the Ragga Muffins Festival has been presented in the City of Long Beach. The festival features an average of 20 artists spread out over a two-day event and is deemed one the largest reggae festivals in the U.S.
The festival, popularly coined as "Bob Marley Day," is held around the late Marley's Feb. 6 birthday and aims to celebrate the life, wisdom and state of mind which reggae superstar has stood for. This year, the festival coincided with the long President's Day weekend.
Many well-known veteran reggae superstars such as Beenie Man, Capelton, Anthony B and Gregory Isaacs as well as new artist Collie Buddz performed this year. Several artists played Bob Marley cover songs that the crowd sung along to without missing a beat.
Along with the mixture of artists, the festival draws an enormous diversity. People from all over the world come to the festival to appreciate the music, arts and crafts and food that are offered all weekend.
Peppered within the crowd of thousands are the students of Long Beach City College who come to experience the festival. Lina Sok, a freshman at LBCC, described her first time being at Bob Marley Day as a "cultural experience… that I plan to attend next year." She also would recommend other people to go. "
Although she has known of the festival for a few years, her first appearance was made easy because so many of her other friends who also go to LBCC have purchased tickets this year. She acknowledges that she was able to relate her experience at Bob Marley Day with topics covered in her first semester Cultural Anthropology course. Sok admitted that attending the festival has sparked a curiosity about the Caribbean culture and its reggae music that she would like to further explore.
Each year, it attracts new artists and legendary artists and it attracts new fans and old fans. Whether it's the food, arts and crafts, music, or 'good vibe' crowd, Bob Marley Day has been adopted into the Long Beach landscape.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Rosemary
posted 2/26/08 @ 11:37 PM PST
Those are awesome pictures! I've always wanted to attend one of the Bob's Fez and this article inspires me to go to the next year festival. I love the reggae environment and plan to learn and explore more about this culture including Bob Marley, the legend of reggae music. (Continued…)
Robert
posted 2/27/08 @ 2:16 AM PST
I went to the Saturday show (and seen those artists pictured)... and have been to Marley day a few times in the past. I always run into people from Long Beach (City College) over there. (Continued…)
Lina Sok
posted 12/01/08 @ 4:49 PM PST
Hey that's me you wrote about =] I searched my name on google and found this article that I'm a part of =]Can't wait to got this year!!
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