What’s To Come for Sierra Nevada World Music Festival 2004

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival turns 11 years old in 2004, and it’s grown into an event of epic proportions. Organizer Warren Smith of Epiphany Artists –using his 35 years of experience in the industry and an encyclopedic knowledge of music–has always managed to book acts with wide-ranging styles from around the world into a cohesive event, while his wife Gretchen and her crew have organized a festival that maintains a peaceful, family-friendly atmosphere.  Read more... (726 words + 2 images)

Byron Lee & The Dragonaires

7.28.01

On Friday, July 28, 2001, Byron Lee & the Dragonaires made their historic first appearance in the Bay Area. Presented by H.A. Productions, Caribbean Summer Fest 2001 at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco turned a hotel ballroom into a Carnival-style party for a full night of entertainment.  Read more... (983 words + 7 images)

Concert Review: Morgan Heritage at Palookaville

May 31, 2001

It had been a week of a rare heat wave in the Bay Area and San Francisco was sizzling in 100-degree temperatures. Rather than bear the heat of Slim’s Nightclub in San Francisco, I chose instead to drive down the California coast the following day to catch Morgan Heritage at Palookaville in Santa Cruz.  Read more... (943 words + 4 images)

Mad Professor at Dub Mission

On April 15, 2001, the Mad Professor brought his Ariwa Sound System artists to captivate San Francisco dub fans at the Elbo Room’s Dub Mission. The house was packed and the line snaked out the door as people struggled to gain entrance to see the master of the mixing board in such an intimate setting.  Read more... (753 words + 5 images)

Caribbean Carnival Night at La Pena

3/30/01

Ras Mo

La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, California hosted its first-ever Caribbean Festival on March 30, 2001. Organized by RAS MO-the Dominican-raised, Bay Area-based percussionist, poet, and theatrical performer who also headlined the show-the event featured dance, drums, song and music with influences from around the Caribbean.

Ras Mo and Hugh Humphrey of the band Jouvert      Read more... (698 words + 12 images)

Destination: St. Lucia

In March 2001 I stopped briefly in St. Lucia to spend a few days relaxing after Carnival in Trinidad. My short visit did not provide enough time to even scratch its surface, yet I found myself captivated by the qualities of this 238-square-mile Windward Island. The sun, the sea, the island’s natural beauty, as well as the warmth of its people, all left me wanting to return to St. Lucia.  Read more... (1509 words + 4 images)

Trinidad’s Carnival

February 2001

Dazzling costumes and pulsating rhythms-the heat, energy and fervor of Trinidad’s Carnival will sweep you up in its frenzied pageantry. It’s one of the top three pre-Lenten celebrations in the world (New Orleans’ Mardi Gras and Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival are its closest rivals) but Trinidad’s festivities are more culturally diverse and all-inclusive, allowing anyone and everyone to jump up and join the party. Things begin to heat up after Christmas and culminate in a mad week of competitions, concerts, fetes, parades and general bacchanal (mayhem) leading up to the grand Parade of Bands. The festivities abruptly end at midnight on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, which this year falls on February 28, 2001.  Read more... (1784 words + 4 images)

Club Review: Island Paradise

Alameda, Ca

On any given Friday or Saturday night, you’ll arrive at Island Paradise to a line of people that stretches down the side of the building. As you get closer to the entrance, the heat and music waft outward from the opened door. Finally, once you are ushered in, the atmosphere enfolds you — it’s a feeling that’s similar to stepping off an airplane into the warmth of the tropics. The sounds and rhythms of the Caribbean and Africa pulsate from the sound system, as people inch their way through the crowded space, and the tiny dance floor is packed with couples moving to the beats. Welcome to Island Paradise.  Read more... (1426 words + 1 image)