Long Beach's Ragga Muffins: A Carnival Of Its Own Class

I have not paid much attention over the years due to my diversion in doing something else in terms of where I go and what I do, especially the outdoors, and I had to leave the saxy jazzy jam sessions for a minute.

But once in a while I delve into listening to some of the classics, the roots reggae I dust off from my music library. And what the master poet, Bob Marley, had done with revelations is what keeps body and soul one which did change all that and the origin of reggae - the revolution that produced casts like The Mighty Diamonds, Toots Hilbert (Maytals), Don Carlos (Gold), Gregory Isaacs, Prince Jazzbo, Michael Prophet, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), The Gladiators, Junior Murvin, Nicodemus, Luciano, Sugar Minot and many others.

Many more had their vibes differently: Jimmy Cliff, Ken Lazarus, Desmond Dekker, Max Romeo, Perry Henzell, Rita Anderson (Marley's wife), and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

And then came U-Roy, I-Roy and Johnny Clark whose vibes changed the whole concept of prophesies and added a kind of flavor that took reggae to another level.

And the creative dubbers, the DJ's did not keep their cool with their theme, even at midnight. Mad Professor, Scientist, Augustus Pablo, Big Youth, Yellowman and the rest.

So as it happened, this past Sunday, February 21, while dread driving on 7th Street and just poking around to check out some of the newest arrivals on the bookshelves in one of the bookstores around the corner, it echoed the 29th Annual Ragga Muffins Festival was jamming in the hood and that some of the performers I had been in touch with in the past will be appearing.

It was a hell of a carnival. Bob Marley posters, Marley silhouettes as special tribute to the legend in what use to be Bob Marley Festival. Jamaican Flags was all over and people from all walks of life popped up. The crowd was amazing and the show remarkably was a success based on how it was handled by Long Beach Police Department.

The casts, also, was very engaging in a brilliant performance with Alborosie's first appearance in the Southland. The line-up: Barrington Levy, Gregory Isaacs, Cocoa Tea, Taurus Riley The Mighty Diamonds, The Aggrolites, The Lions and Detour Posse.

The vendors and the food courts
The smoky grilled chicken
The Jamaican cuisines
The outfits; some really outrageous
And the color riots
Reggae explodes in Long Beach Arena

A fun-filled evening and by the time I had walked back to my car on Ocean Blvd., it was like the magic of darkness and the night of happiness in a carnival of its own class.