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Written by Scott Brown One of the very first reggae superstars I ever saw was Ziggy Marley. My buddy Dave grew up in Chicago, and had seen Ziggy perform a number of times (this was when he was recording and touring with the Melody Makers). Dave actually went backstage and met Ziggy (they had a mutual friend – a guy whom Dave had grown up with, and who was working for a major record label). Dave said that watching Ziggy perform was almost like a spiritual experience, and I came to find out that he was exactly right. Although I’ve never seen him perform with the Melody Makers, I have seen Ziggy perform probably 8 or 9 times now – and every time is a revelation. The man is amazing….a true performer, like his father before him. I have every concert DVD that he’s ever made, and they’re all memorable…loaded with great tracks, as well as outstanding audio and video. One of my favorite Ziggy tracks is “True to Myself”. The lyrics remind me that no matter how tough my life has been, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Reggae music touched my soul, and this man has done the same thing time and time again.  The 2014 Fly Rasta Tour with Ziggy Marley This past weekend (on Saturday, November 1, 2014 to be exact), Dave came down from his home in Laguna Beach – and we prepared to see Ziggy at the North Park Theater here in San Diego (after a great meal at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Huapango’s). This concert was one of many during Ziggy’s “Fly Rasta” tour, and it was a great show. Ziggy brought his usual energy, spirituality and showmanship to the stage, and it was a sold-out crowd that literally hung on every note.  Errol Brown, Our Executive Producer at KREG - Global Healing Reggae Radio 24 hours a day. Our Executive Producer (Errol Brown) has worked very closely with the Marley family over the years, having started out as Bob Marley’s original sound engineer. Errol has won FIVE Grammy awards, and the most recent one was for his outstanding work on the last album to win “Best Reggae Album” – Ziggy Marley’s “Love is My Religion – Live”. As a matter of fact, when I first met Errol (through our Producer, Mitch Santell) I had no idea just how pivotal this man was in bringing reggae music to the masses. And sure enough – I went back to read the tiny credits on several of my reggae concert DVD’s – and Errol’s name was on a lot of them. When most people say “it’s a small world”, it usually rings hollow. I can honestly say that it IS a small world, and that I’m truly blessed to have such a legendary reggae icon on our capable team.  Errol Brown won his fifth Grammy for Love Is My Religion with Ziggy Marley It’s a beautiful, sunny day in San Diego – and a Ziggy Marley song is currently playing on Scott Brown’s Big Reggae Mix. It brings a smile to my face and warms my heart to know how much reggae music has changed my life for the better, and I humbly look forward to sharing this with all of you.
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Reggae On The River Written by Scott Brown When I first met my buddy Dave Datallo, I had no idea that he even liked reggae. We would barbecue and swap stories about the Navy (Dave was also a Radioman, like me – except he was stationed onboard a ship, and I was on a pair of submarines). One day he broke out a DVD to show me, and it was the 20th anniversary of the Reggae on the River festival, held in Humboldt County every summer. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing; the music was incredible, and the quality of the video was amazing. The opening song was “96 Degrees in the Shade” by Third World, with a gorgeous full moon in the background and a huge crowd swaying to the music and signing along.  Reggae On The River -- 20th Anniversary This was my introduction to Michael Franti and Spearhead, Anthony B, the GYC (Ghetto Youth Crew, with Damian and Stephen Marley), Beres Hammond, Toots and the Maytals, Israel Vibration and many more. I loved the lineup, which even included a couple of world music acts that blew me away. We watched that video maybe a dozen times over the next few weeks, and I went online to buy my own copy.       One day, in the early spring of 2006, Dave and I started talking about maybe making the trip up north to attend the festival. We teamed up and convinced Dave’s wife (Carrie) that we should go, and she agreed (Carrie actually attended Humboldt University, and knew the area quite well. Her mom lived in Fort Bragg, not too far from the festival site). With tickets in hand, we rented an RV. Dave’s friend Jon joined us (from Long Beach), and the four of us hit the road. Over the next week and a half, we had the experience of a lifetime, which strengthened our friendship and made me fall in love even more with reggae. We hauled our thirty foot RV up a tiny, winding driveway to the Maple Creek Winery, and the owners couldn’t believe that Dave actually drove that beast to the parking lot without incident. When we finally arrived at the festival, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were tens of thousands of music lovers there, and the musical acts were simulcast over a low wattage FM station (which came in handy at times, when we were partied out). I soaked up the new music like a sponge, and I saw SOJA for the first time. They’re an amazing American reggae band, out of Washington, DC. We saw Barrington Levy (the Jamaican Canary) live, and we saw a group called Heavyweight Dub Champion, who took the stage while beautiful, scantily clad women twirled batons and spears that were on fire. I’ve never quite seen anything like that since. Ziggy and Stephen Marley closed out the festival that Sunday, and we slowly headed back to San Diego.  Just two years later, I went back to Reggae on the River with my girlfriend (at the time), Christa – and we had an incredible time. I can’t wait to go again, and I would HIGHLY recommend you place this festival on your bucket list. Buy the DVD, and watch it a few times – and I guarantee that you’ll be hooked as well. I really want to try that spinning, flaming spear trick – but my landlord doesn’t want me to burn the apartment down.
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