Sean Paul, Shaggy, And Buju Banton To Pay Respect To Bob Marley
Yahoo! Music, Feb 4, 2003 1:00 pm PST(2/4/03, 1 p.m. ET) -- Sean Paul is among reggae artists paying respect this month to the late Bob Marley, whose musical genius introduced the genre to the world. Marley was born on February 6, 1945, and observations of Marley's birth anniversary include the 22nd Annual Ragga Muffins/Bob Marley Day Festival. Shaggy, Buju Banton, Steel Pulse, and Marley's kids Stephen, Damian, and Julian also perform at the celebration, which kicks off February 15 in Long Beach, California.
Marley was well-known for his politically conscious lyrics, which gave a voice to the oppressed in Jamaica and elsewhere. Jamaican-born Paul also pens songs about the state of his homeland, and he recently explained why he doesn't vote. Paul said that he remains heartbroken by the deadly violence carried out by members of Jamaica's opposing political parties while he was growing up in Kingston, a city far from the tranquil areas most tourists choose to visit in the Caribbean nation.
"It bothers me every day," Paul said. "I voted one time in Jamaica and people died that day, and from that time I was, like, 'I am not voting again, ever, just to prove that point, and I will get famous and I will tell people that I don't because of that--because that means I am voting on someone to go and kill another person.'"
Barrington Levy, Ce'Cile, Anthony B., Wailing Soul, Donovan, George Nooks, Tippa Irie, Lloyd Brown, Don Campbell, and other great reggae artists are also scheduled to perform at the Ragga Muffins Festival. For more information, call the festival hotline at (310) 515-3322 or visit the websites raggamuffins.org or bobmarleyfestival.com.
-- Anna Maria Gibson, New York
For more news at LAUNCH, click here.
More Artist News
Shaggy reconnects with reggae roots on indie debut
Oct 26, 2007 5:00 pm PDT
Having sold more than 20 million records worldwide, Shaggy doesn't exactly fit the mold of the struggling artist. Yet with a smile and a big sigh of relief, the Jamaican-born, New York-raised singer says that only now does he feel that...
Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, And Shaggy Among Artists Confirmed For Florida's SunFest
Feb 27, 2003 12:00 pm PST
(2/27/03, 3 p.m. ET) -- Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Shaggy, Fourplay, Sixpence None The Richer, Bob Dylan, and the Beach Boys will perform at the 21st annual SunFest in West Palm Beach, Florida, between April 30 and May 4. This year the f...
Shaggy Shares His Very Original Valentine's Day Plans
Feb 14, 2003 2:00 pm PST
(2/14/03, 5 p.m. ET) -- Reggae superstar Shaggy's latest set, Lucky Day, has been showing some resilience on the charts although the set has yet to yield any of the megahits that made its predecessor, Hot Shot, a worldwide smash. Lucky Day...
Shaggy Says He Got Tired Of Wearing Braids
Nov 3, 2002 4:00 am PST
(11/3/02, 7 a.m. ET) -- Shaggy's wild, seemingly unkempt hairstyle has nothing to do with keeping up with the latest fashion trend, according to the reggae artist who released his new album, Lucky Day, on October 29. The artist told LAU...
Oct 29, 2002 9:00 am PST
(10/29/02, 12 p.m. ET) -- The title of Shaggy's album, Lucky Day, out Tuesday (October 29), was borrowed from a song title on the record. The reggae act from Kingston, Jamaica told LAUNCH that the song explains why women call him "Mr. L...
