Toppa Top 10: The Top Ten Summertime Festivals

Words by LargeUp Crew, Photo by Martei Korley—

It’s Memorial Day weekend, which means the start of the summer concert season is upon us. As usual, the next few months are packed with a whole heap of events bringing the top names in reggae, dancehall and soca together in some pretty cool settings. Here’s our annual look at some of the biggest and most notable Caribbean music festivals this summer, from the California Roots Music and Arts Festival and Best of the Best this weekend through Rototom Sunsplash and England’s One Love Fest in August. Scroll through and make plans accordingly!

10. California Roots Music and Arts Festival (Monterey, Calif; May 23-25)

PHOTO: Alex Geller

True to its name, the California Roots Music and Art Festival held at northern Cali’s Monterey County Fairgrounds is heavy on U.S. reggae bands from its home state (Rebelution, Iration) and beyond (SOJA). This year, the three-day festival’s fifth edition, also includes a nice selection of Jamaican acts including Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Ziggy Marley and Steel Pulse, along. Los Rakas, Alborosie, J Boog and New Kingston also perform. This one kicks off the festival season this Memorial Day Weekend, so if you’re out in Cali, get your tickets now.

9. Garance Reggae Festival (Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France, July 23-26)

The Garance Reggae Festival in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France, near Marseiiles, has put together some impressive artist lineups in recent years. This year’s lineup looks to be still taking shape but already there’s some massive names that could help make it easier to justify a July escape to the South of France: Capleton, Beenie Man, Yellowman, Ras Michael, Ken Boothe, Errol Dunkley, Lutan Fyah and, most intriguingly, Mafia & Fluxy in Dub featuring Jah Shaka and Adrian Sherwood.

8. St. Kitts Music Festival (Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, June 26-28)

PHOTO: Daryl Charles

The concert season in the Caribbean winds down after the winter and spring, but there’s a few big shows in the summer as well. As usual, one of the biggest and most diverse lineups can be found at the St. Kitts Music Festival. The first two days are all about soca and raw reggae with Machel Montano, Beenie Man, Destra, Explainer, Skinny Fabulous, Capleton, Tarrus Riley and the St. Kitts debut of Chronixx—plus the king of merengue fusion, Elvis Crespo—while the last day features Freddie McGregor and Tessanne Chin and jazz performances from Deniece Williams, Bobby Kimball and Bill Champlin. You can also get a taste for local St. Kitts sounds via local legends, Small Axe Band.

7. Reggae On The River (Humboldt County, Calif.; July 31-August 3)

PHOTO: Lee Abel

This year is the 30th anniversary of Reggae on the River, held at French’s Camp in lovely Humboldt County, California, and organizers have assembled an appropriately large lineup to celebrate. The roster is heavy on classic legacy acts (Jimmy Cliff, Sly & Robbie and the Taxi Gang Alpha Blondy, Gyptian, Third World, Israel Vibration, Michael Rose, Mutabaruka), but there’s a few current (Gentleman, Etana, Gyptian) and rising (Jah 9, Iba Mahr) stars, as well as X-factors like Fishbone and Los Rakas. U.K soul reggae great Bitty McLean also makes a rare U.S. appearance, as do Mega Banton and Marlon Asher.

6. Best Of The Best (Miami, May 25)

Simply put, Best of the Best is the United States’ largest annual dancehall concert. Held every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day, the show is the centerpiece of the Caribbean takeover of the 305 that happens this time every year. In addition to top reggae acts including Beres Hammond, Barrington Levy, Tarrus Riley, Singing Melody, Tifa, Etana, Elephant Man, Assassin, QQ and the long-awaited BOTB debut of Chronixx (who was forced to cancel what was planned as his US debut at last year’s edition), this year’s show is a pan-Caribbean thing with a contingent of soca acts, including Bunji Garlin, Destra, Shal Marshall and Edwin Yearwood, plus the Bahamas Ratpack.

5. One Love Festival (August 15-17; Leighton Buzzard, England)

England’s One Love Festival, in the colorfully named town of Leighton Buzzard north of London, has once again put together an interesting lineup, with lots of names you won’t find on any other festival this summer like Apache Indian and King Kong. LargeUp family Addis Pablo and Suns of Dub will also make an appearance, as will Cocoa Tea, John Holt, Wailing Souls, Cornell Campbell, Brushy One String, Michael Prophet, Macka B and Jesse Royal. For the second straight year the festival will host a soundclash dubbed “Battle of the Dubplates,” with last year’s winner  Sir Coxsone Sound set to defend their crown. The event will also feature a Channel One meets Saxon Sound set, and Gorgon Sound System featuring Bunny Lee. Get an idea of the vibes at One Love with this video.

4. Reggae Summerjam (Cologne, Germany; July 4-6)

Coming off a big year last year, Reggae Summerjam in Cologne, Germany has once again put together a stellar lineup that speaks to all eras of reggae, as well as dancehall.  Jimmy Cliff, Konshens, Anthony B, Barrington Levy, Christopher Martin, Dub Inc, Gappy Ranks, Iba Mahr, Johnny Osbourne, Kabaka Pyramid, Konshens, Lutan Fyah, Perfect Giddimani, Raging Fyah, Stylo G and Tanya Stephens top the list of performers, which also includes a handful of acts from outside of reggae in Dilated Peoples and Nneka. Plus all of Germany’s top sounds (Pow Pow Movement, Supersonic Sound) will be present, so you know the vibes will be just right.

3. Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (Boonville, Calif.; June 20-22)

PHOTO: Lee Abel

The lineup at this year’s Sierra Nevada World Music Festival at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds is a huge one with Shaggy, Barrington Levy, Sly and Robbie, Mykal Rose, Tarrus Riley, Bitty McLean, Horace Andy, U-Roy, John Holt, Chuck Fenda, Horace Andy, Josey Wales, Kabaka Pyramid, the Tamlins, Derrick Morgan and Morgan Heritage all set to take a stage. Whew. That’s a lot. The performance we’re most hyped on, though, is the rare U.S. appearance by Hollie Cook. Our 2011 New Artist of the Year is about to drop a mammoth album in Twice, and this one of only two performances she’s doing in support in the U.S.

2. Rototom Sunsplash (Benicassim, Spain, August 16-23)

The family-oriented Rototom Sunplash turns 21 this year, its fifth since relocating from Italy to Benicassim, Spain. Performances are just one element of the multi-faceted cultural event, which hosts percussion classes, photo exhibitions, seminars, debates and film screenings, among other community-building events. Going off the roster of performances: Jimmy Cliff, Chronixx, Busy Signal, Romain Virgo, Kabaka Pyramid, Cornell Campbell, Beenie Man, Collie Buddz (with New Kingston), Sean Paul, Luciano, Easy Star All Stars, Wailing Souls, Jah 9, Midnite, the Gladiators (featuring Droop Lion) and Inner Circle and Lauryn Hill. On the sounds end of things there’s Bass Odyssey, Jah Youth, Blackboard Jungle, Gladdy Wax, King Addies Int’l, Earl Gateshead, David Rodigan and even our crew Safari Sound. Awoah. This one’s going to be huge.

1. Reggae Sumfest (Montego Bay, Jamaica; July 13-19)

Reggae Sumfest is, without a doubt, the biggest annual stageshow in Jamaica, and the biggest summertime music event in the Caribbean, running a full week from start to finish. Sumfest organizers announce their guests in chunks, leading all the way up to the big event, so the list of artists performing this summer right now only offers a partial picture of what’s to come. But it’s already filled with a massive set names for both the dancehall and international nights: Busy Signal, Sean Paul, Chronixx, I-Octane, Jah Cure, Aidonia, Tessanne Chin, Beenie Man, Sanchez, Future, Jason Derulo and Wiz Khalifa.

+1: Groovin In The Park (Queens, NYC; June 29)

The lineup at this year’s Groovin in the Park show at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, NYC includes reggae giants Chronixx, Beres Hammond, John Holt, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt and Bob Andy. But don’t laugh at the inclusion of Air Supply. The Australian soft-rock giants have been one of the most popular groups in Jamaica for, like, ever. Their JA live debut at Jamaica Jazz and Blues is still the stuff of legend, so the gig makes perfect sense. In fact, every year Groovin in the Park books a “wild card” artist from outside of reggae; in previous years, it’s been Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle and Boyz II Men. The common thread is all can sing their asses off. This is a Jamaican music show for Jamaicans, and Jamaicans love a singer who can belt it out.