South Florida is a healthy place for reggae, both in that it produces lots of quality homegrown music and that it attracts big-name acts from across the globe. The upcoming Lake Worth Reggae Festival offers a nice slice of both aspects of the scene. Leading the global acts are the Wailers, anchored by legendary bass player Aston "Family Man" Barrett, who has been in the group since the days of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer.
Add the incredibly positive, message-heavy singer and toaster Pato Banton. Banton hails from England, though he now lives in Los Angeles, and has earned a large following of fans over the past few decades, whom he calls "Pato-ites," by consistently delivering powerful live shows.
Contributing some regional flavor is Gainesville's 3rd Stone, which infuses R&B stylings into a sound rooted in Afrobeat, and Deerfield's Resolvers, who recently finished recording a couple of songs at the Inner Circle's Circle House studio for an upcoming compilation showcasing South Florida reggae artists called Reggae Wave.
