With the first edition of the Roots Reggae Culture Festival, the list of New Orleans festivals got a little bit longer–not that it needed to be. The two-day event, which took place at City Park’s Tad Gormley Stadium this past weekend, featured a lineup of local acts and overseas musicians.
The festival got off to a rough start on its first day when an early bout with rain hindered the scheduled activities. The music, which was set to start at 10am, was postponed until well after noon. However, once things got started it was a rolling schedule for the rest of the day, and the sun eventually peeked out to give off some of the heat people down here usually associate with music festivals.
Most people didn’t come out until the clouds were long gone and the music was off to a great start, with performers entertaining the small crowd of people who weren’t scared off by the rain. Righteous Wrong was first up, playing a quick set of originals and finishing with a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up”. Casa Samba–dressed in ornate tribal clothing–then took the stage for a spirited set of African drums and singing. They were quickly joined by a predominantly female dance crew that performed on the foreground in front of the stage whose wildly choreographed routine seemed to impress the crowd. As if that wasn’t enough, the group was then followed by an assembly of stilt dancers, with each one providing the audience with their own dance solo.
The event was also very much a family affair. Fans were welcome to talk with, receive autographs, and take photos with many of the artists after their sets, and children were encouraged to play soccer on the football field behind the stage. In addition, there were countless vendors behind the bleachers selling everything you might expect from a reggae festival, from dashikis to handmade bracelets to sandals. Food vendors gave the fans a taste of Jamaican cuisine with jerk chicken–a dish that is as closely associated with Jamaica as crawfish is with Louisiana–but there was plenty of good ol’ New Orleans food to be had as well.
Act after act, performance after performance, the musicians continued to prove that reggae is a genre not to ignore. The second day was even more successful than the first, as the crowd was hyped with anticipation for artists like Richie Spice and Capleton. The latter ended the fest with his signature dancehall style of reggae, shouting and jumping across the stage like a man twenty years his junior. The turnout may not have been as high as Jazz Fest or Essence, but it’s safe to say many fans will be looking forward to the second annual Roots Reggae Culture Fest.
All photos by Jasmine Bethune and Ian Monroe.
Photo by Ian Monroe
