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The colours to remember in Calgary this August will be red, white and dread as the Fifth Annual Calgary International Reggae Festival turns up the Summer festival heat. This year ReggaeFest 5 - Best of the Fest will see the return of some of the crowd favourites from the past four years as well as some of the freshest and hottest performers in the Reggae world. Aiming to unite the global, national and international Reggae community, ReggaeFest 5 will offer something for any and every Reggae music fan. As part of the 2008 celebration ReggaeFest 5 will also be presenting for the first time in Western Canada, Red, White and Dread - A Summit and Showcase of Canadian Reggae Music.
Date: Saturday, August 16, 2008
Time: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Location:
Shaw Millennium Park
1220 - 9 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
Performances By:
Brinsley Forde
Culture Brown
Jason Wilson
La Comuna
LJX
Maxi Priest
Maximum Force
Michael St George
Michael Thompson aka Visionary
Mikey Dangerous
Souljah Fyah
Steele
Tinga Stewart
Shaw Millennium Park is located at 1220 - 9 Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (beside the Telus World of Science). This 10 acre park is on the site of the old Mewata Stadium and immediately west of the historic Mewata Armories. Limited Parking is available. Please use public transportation.
Attention all festival goers:
- No video or recording devices allowed on site.
- No outside food or drink permitted on site. Food and drink vendors will be on site.
- No pets allowed on site.
- Photographers and videographers will be on site to record promotional footage.
- Parking is limited, please use public transportation.
- The site has a limited capacity of approximately 10,000 people.
- Don’t be disappointed - Purchase your tickets in advance and take advantage of advance ticket prices.
ReggaeFest 5 - Best of the Fest Artiste Line Up
Aktivate
Calgary’s great Aktivate aspires to maintain upstanding, objective, and positive music. This reggae, calypso, soca and dance infused band is the brain child of D. Dixon. Aktivate has performed in and around Calgary for many years and has grown into a very unique band with the necessary skill, style and freedom to perform original music.
Aktivate: Web Site
Bianca
British born Bianca has been musically influenced since a young age. She has earned a strong reputation as a professional artiste and is acknowledged by her loyal fans not only in her home city of Calgary, but also throughout Canada. Bianca returns to ReggaeFest 5 after a stellar performance at the festival in 2006. Bianca is currently working with local Dancehall Reggae Artist and Producer, Vex Cobo and Lucky Dragon Music. Bianca was born to sing!
Bianca: My Space
Brinsley Forde
Best known as the founding member of the reggae band Aswad, Brinsley Forde is also an accomplished actor. Aswad remain one of the most successful reggae groups ever to come out of Europe. No strangers to national chart success, they achieved their first number one hit in 1988 with “Don’t Turn Around.” Today Brinsley continues to inspire us with live performances and his BBC 6 Music Radio shows, “Lively up Yourself” and “Dub Bashment”.
Brinsley Forde: My Space
Culture Brown
Culture was born in the parish of Westmoreland, Jamaica, moving to Kingston at an early age. Culture Brown found his start in Reggae music as a member of the Black Star Sound System, opening doors for him to become a powerful figure on the Reggae scene.
He has shared the stage alongside Capleton, Mutabaruka, Freddie McGregor, Beenie Man, Assassin, and Junior Reid and he has recorded tracks with artistes such as Yami Bolo, Dennis Brown, Sizzla and IBO. Currently Culture Brown is in the studio working on completing his next album entitled “Poor”.
Culture Brown: My Space
Guerrilla Funk Allstars
Guerrilla Funk Allstars have been making music and causing mayhem since 2001. This is a four piece original band with an experimental musical style that blends rock, blues, funk, punk, reggae, and world music in such a unique way that it is hard to categorize. They simply cannot be defined by just one genre. Their eclectic mix of songs provides the audience with diversity, intensity, and creative musicianship. Since the spring of 2002, they have completed one extensive coast-to-coast tour and have toured regularly between the west coast and southern Ontario.
Guerrilla Funk Allstars: My Space
Jason Wilson
As leader of the internationally-acclaimed progressive reggae act Tabarruk, Jason Wilson has been pegged by the Canadian media as a “reggae-visionary” and the “future of reggae”. Nominated for a Juno Award for Best Reggae Recording, Wilson has recorded and performed with some of the world’s biggest reggae acts including; UB40, Sly & Robbie, Jackie Mittoo, Ernest Ranglin and many more. Wilson has made a profound impact on Canada’s reggae scene in the past fifteen years and with Tabarruk, has performed over 2,000 shows around the globe.
Jason Wilson: Web Site
La Comuna
La Comuna has been one of the leading reggae bands in Mexico since the late nineties. This group is the perfect fusion of a wide mosaic of rhythms and musical influences including jazz, funk, soul, and naturally reggae roots, turning into the finest and most versatile eclectic reggae ensemble in Mexico and Central America. La Comuna has shared the stage with super stars such as Jimmy Cliff, Ervin "Don Carlos" Spencer (Black Uhuru), Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, and Pato Banton. “Natura” their second album to date was released in 2007.
La Comuna: My Space
LJX
LJX, better known as Lyndon John is a new singer-songwriter and guitarist from Toronto Ontario, Canada. He recently released his first independent Reggae album titled “Two Chord Skankin”. With his music, Lyndon’s creative plan is to fuse reggae with elements from other genres. So far 2008 has brought many exciting things for Lyndon. He was nominated for a Juno for Best Reggae Recording of the Year, as well as Best Male Newcomer at the Canadian Reggae Music Awards.
LJX: My Space
Lynn Olagundoye
Lynn is a singer/songwriter from Calgary with a voice that blends smooth R&B and soul with compelling lyrics and a fresh sound that incorporates funk, jazz, afro beat, roots-reggae and rock. Collaborating with her friends from Guerrilla Funk Monster, Lynn released her debut CD, “Africa Violet” in 2006 to glowing reviews from her fans and media. Lynn has shared the stage with such great artistes as Marcia Griffiths and K’nann and is now in the process of recording her second album.
Lynn Olagundoye: Web Site | My Space
Maxi Priest
Music insiders would have you believe that there are a variety of distinct musical genres and categories, with musical mélange rarely found. Music fans, however, embrace melodies and rhythms that mean something to them, no matter their origin. Maxi Priest represents this musical universality. Through the release of 10 albums and countless live performances he has unleashed a one-world music making him the greatest selling living reggae performer in the world.
Maxi’s reputation for balancing hard-core reggae vibes with mainstream pop was firmly cemented in the mid nineties, leading to widespread critical acclaim and massive growth in popularity as a recording and touring artiste. In 1996, Maxi released “That Girl”, a duet with Shaggy from the album Man with the Fun. The Hype Williams-directed video for the Grammy Nominated hit single quickly became an MTV staple.
The 2005 release, “2 The Max”, includes the dancehall anthems “Full Hundred” and “Sweat a Go Buss” (featuring Beres Hammond), and “Believe in Love”, featuring 2005’s hottest rhythm.
In 2007, Priest joined UB40 on tour, culminating in sell out shows across the world. Today, Maxi Priest's music continues to grow beynd bounds.
Maxi Priest : Web Site | My Space
Maximum Force
This crew originated from the beautiful island of Jamaica. Each member was trained not only to play music, but to entertain the crowd with each of their talents. You will have live proof when you feel the energy of the band merging into all styles of music including Jazz, Latin, Reggae, Salsa, R&B, Soul and Old School and more. Some of the artists that various band members have played for include Luciano, Morgan Heritage, Shaggy, Sean Paul and Usher. The band is composed of six main entertainers; Isreal-Band Singer, Jerome - Lead Bass, Lee - Lead Keyboard, Andy - Second Keyboard and vocals, Neil - Guitar and Antonio - Band Leader, Drummer and Manager for the band.
Michael St. George
Dub poet Michael St. George inspires audiences with perceptive, original lyrics and melodic sound fusing Reggae, Jazz, and Pop influences. Currently working on his fourth album “The Ital Suite”, St. George is a dynamic artiste who has shared the stage and studio with icons such as Oku Onuora, Culture, Burning Spear, Lillian Allen, Luciano, Mutabaruka, Toots and the Maytals, among others. Born in Jamaica, St. George resides in Canada where he has become one of the leading poetic performers with audiences of all ages.
Michael St George: Web Site | My Space
Michael Thompson aka Visionary
Michael Thompson began his relationship with music at a very young age and considers himself a visionary inspired by the Almighty Father. His musical style is a blend of hard-core conscious lyrics and a cool blend of lover’s rock reggae. His music can be heard far around the world from Ghana to Jamaica and throughout Canada. Michael has opened for top Reggae artistes such as Dobby Dobson, Half Pint and George Nooks. Brace yourself for this fated artiste!
Michael Thompson aka Visionary: Web Site
Mikey Dangerous
Mikey Dangerous is a Reggae Artiste who is exploding on to the international music scene. With a unique and powerful voice Mikey Dangerous has been known to captivate his audiences with his unforgettable enchanting voice, flow, lyrical finesse, along with an arsenal of deadly material. His performances and recordings are versatile, ranging from Roots and Culture to dancehall club hits. This 2008 Juno Award Winner for Reggae Recording of the Year has toured with artistes such as The Beatnuts, and has been featured at many special events where he crossed boundaries having been the only dancehall reggae artiste to be featured along side artists like Ciara, Lil Jon, Fat Joe, and more.
Mikey Dangerous: My Space
Oral Fuentes Reggae Band
Oral Fuentes' musical experience started in his home country of Belize, where he was involved with a multicultural band, ‘Caribbean Jam'. Since then Oral has traveled extensively to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Surinam, Guyana, USA, and the Caribbean. Oral moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1992 and his Caribbean and Latin rhythms include the musical styles of Reggae, Soca, Punta-Rock and Brukdown (both music from Belize). Oral also started the Saskatoon Reggae Festival and is currently on tour with his band in promotion of their CD “Oral Culture”.
Oral Fuentes Reggae Band: Web Site | My Space
Souljah Fyah
Souljah Fyah is a high-energy female fronted Reggae band out of Edmonton with a wicked stage show. Janaya "Sista J" Ellis is the lead vocalist and bassist, and is backed by a solid ensemble of multi talented reggae musicians. Souljah Fyah's sophomore album “Truth Will Reveal” has charted nationally in the top ten. With the passionate "Rwanda" recently featured on Ziggy Marley's "Ziggy Radio", and "Abundance of Good" hitting the #1 national spot on Galaxie Radio, CBC in September 2007, people are starting to talk about Souljah Fyah. They have performed hundreds of shows in and around Edmonton. Their live performance is always fully charged so be ready for it when Sista J and Souljah Fyah hit the stage!
Souljah Fyah: Web Site
Spirit of World Drumming
Jeff Stewart, Drum Circle Facilitator and Educator, currently teaches instrumental music with the Rainbow Public School system where he runs jazz ensembles, concert band and world drum/percussion ensembles. Jeff facilitates drum circles in his community and at music festivals such as the Northern Lights Festival, Summerfest, Afro-Caribbean Festival, African Cabaret, and Black History Month. Besides being a prominent music educator and clinician Jeff also performs professionally, leading his own jazz ensemble “Solar Jazz Ensemble”. The Spirit of Drumming is the Soul of Life!
Spirit of World Drumming: Web Site
Steele
Described as dynamic and sensational, Steele who hails from Lucea, Jamaica is as captivating in his handling of R&B material as he is with soul, reggae, gospel, classical and jazz. Today, Steele has made his mark on the music industry and although most people recognize him as a singer, Steele is also an accomplished musician, songwriter and producer. He has shared the stage with some of Reggae’s most respected artistes, such as Freddie McGregor, Tony Rebel, Beenie Man and Luciano. With his sophomore CD “Love of Jah”, critics are hailing this as his finest work to date. The sky is the limit for Steele and he continues to reach for it.
Steele: Web Site
Tinga Stewart
Neville “Tinga” Stewart’s career began in Jamaica in the late 60’s and he is now a seasoned artiste. Having made his mark on the Jamaican and international scene, Tinga’s impressive longevity and impeccable reputation of talent and professionalism continues to take Reggae music to higher levels. Tinga’s latest album “Ready to Groove” consists of lovers rock, mixed with conscious lyrics and social commentary. Other albums in his catalogue include “Under Your Spell” and “Brother to Brother.” Tinga is reviewed as one of the most exciting performers today.
Tinga Stewart: My Space
*Lineup Subject To Change
Saturday, August 16, 2008
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
- DJ
- Opening Ceremonies
- Elektra Dancers
- Maximum Force
- Culture Brown
- LJX
- La Comuna
- Souljah Fyah
5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
- Mikey Dangerous
- Steele
- Michael Thompson aka Visionary
- Jason Wilson
- Brinsley Forde
- Michael St George
- Tinga Stewart
- Maxi Priest
Hosts:
- Paul Dunphy - Global Calgary
- Carrie Mullings – CHRY fm Toronto
- OG Walker – CJTR fm Regina
- King David – CHRY fm Toronto
- Mick Sleeper – CJSR fm Edmonton
DJ music throughout the day by Beat Matrix
Backing Band: Ultimate Crew
* Subject to Change Without Notice
Red, White and Dread Canadian Reggae Music Summit - August 14 - 15, 2008
Reggae Music within the Canadian Diaspora
Interactive Presentation on
Reggae Music in Canada over the last 40 years.
18+ Event.
Date: Thursday, August 14
Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Ship and Anchor Pub, 534 - 17 Avenue SW (Directions)
Admission: FREE
Performances by: Klive Walker
Canadian Artiste Showcase
Come out and support
live Canadian Reggae music!
18+ Event.
Date: Thursday, August 14
Time: 9:00 pm start
Location: Ship and Anchor Pub, 534 - 17 Avenue SW (Directions)
Admission: FREE
Performances by: Aktivate, Bianca, Lynn Olagundoye and Guerrilla Funk Allstars, Mikey Dangerous, Steel, DJ Djewel
Reggae Downtown and Summit
Feel the Roar of the Western Lion in the middle of downtown. This free noon hour performance showcases more Canadian talent! Workshops, drum circle and more to follow the noon hour performance.
Date: Friday, August 15
Time: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location: Olympic Plaza, 228 – 8 Avenue SE (Directions)
Admission: FREE
Workshops and performances by: Michael St George, Oral Fuentes Reggae Band, Spirit of World Drumming, Original RNR Sound and many more.
Jammin’ Right Straight 'Til Dawn
Do you want more?
Come to the Reggae After Party and continue to celebrate Reggae music.
Meet the ReggaeFest 5 Performers.
18+ Event.
Date: Saturday, August 16
Time: 10:00 pm – 2:00 am
Location: Westgate Community Hall, 4943 8 Avenue SW (Directions)
Admission at the Door: $10 - Show your ReggaeFest 5 wristband and admission is half price, CRFS Members $5
DJ: Original RNR Sound
Advance Tickets available online at Ticketweb.ca and at all Calgary Co-op Food Centres.
Main Event Tickets
| Category | Advance |
Gate |
Adult (18 - 59) |
$30 |
$40 |
Youth (13 - 17) |
$15 |
$20 |
Senior (60+) |
$15 |
$20 |
Child (12 & under when accompanied by a paying Adult) |
n/a |
FREE |
CRFS Members (upon presentation of card) |
$20 |
$30 |
Note: all prices include GST, service fees may apply.
Non-refundable - Show goes rain or shine.
Cash ONLY on site. An ATM will be accessible on site festival day.
Group Rate available in advance upon request - crfinfo@CalgaryReggaeFestival.com, 403 355-5696
Charge-by-phone: 1-888-222-6608