The 30th Annual Reggae on the River 2014, July 31st – August 3rd, 2014, CA

What: The 30th Annual Reggae on the River 2014

When: July 31st – August 3rd, 2014

Where: French’s Camp
Humboldt County, CA

The amazing 30K turnout for last weekend’s Cali Roots Festival is proof positive that the power of reggae music is alive and well in California. And as the nation’s original reggae music festival, Reggae On The River(r) gets ready to celebrate 30 of the iconic event, there is no better time than the present to look back at the vibes that made ROTR famous. In this week’s newsletter, we welcome you to a series that will showcase little seen, archival footage from the ROTR vaults. Featuring classic selections from the 1980’s through last year’s 2013 French’s Camp homecoming, this series will get you excited for our 30th anniversary and demonstrate why Reggae On The River enjoys such staying power.

Appropriate as the first track in our series Pato Banton’s Never Give In, from way back in 1986, shows Pato in top form in the early days of the festival.   A classic performance, this song could very well be the anthem for ROTR’s struggle in recent to return the show to its original French’s Camp venue.
 
Next up is a little known version of Now That We Found Love from ROTR in 1992.  One of the seminal tracks from the Third World songbook, this video showcases the band at the height of their popularity- and at a time when the festival was really starting to explode on the international scene.  The combo is electrifying, as Third World always has been at ROTR- surely making them one of our favorite festival acts over the years and a welcome addition to our 30th anniversary line-up.
 
And in our final video of this week’s newsletter, we fast-forward to 2013 to present J Boog’s Mystery Girl.  Always an engaging performer, J Boog’s set was a highlight of last year’s festival.  His popularity- and that of a new wave of Polynesian/ island-style reggae artists in general- is breathing fresh life into the genre and helping carry reggae music into the future- movement we at ROTR are happy to see.
 
Come join us for the 30th annual Reggae On The River(r) on the weekend of July 31, August 1-3 and make memories that will last a lifetime.  And, just as those in attendance for the above videos can say, “I was there”, you will be able to do the same- and for the 30th anniversary no less!  This is one milestone event you won’t want to miss, so get your tickets before its too late- and stay tuned to future editions of this newsletter for more great vids from the ROTR archives in weeks to come.