Did anyone order some positive vibes? Ya, mon! Celebrating 50 years of Wailers music and the timeless power of music to uplift people, the annual Bayside Rocks Festival returns to Miami on November 19.
Among those making up a true wail of a lineup is the only surviving member of the original Wailers trio, Bunny Wailer; the Original Wailers (no original Wailers, but a few cats who played with Bob Marley in the later years); the Wailing Souls (no relation to the Wailers except that they were on Marley's Tuff Gong label for a while); and other acts from around the Caribbean that are wailers by trade if not by name, including legendary Haitian konpa band Tabou Combo, Puerto Rican reggae quartet Cultura Profetica, and the nine-piece Chilean reggae act Gondwana. See the full list of confirmed acts after the jump.
Though part of the proclaimed purpose of the fest is to celebrate Bob Marley and the Wailers' music, which represents perhaps the most traditional reggae, another nice feature is that it offers diversity within its line-up rather than being straight-ahead reggae all the way. Though most of the acts share a common foundation in world and reggae rhythms, there is much variety in the flavorings of those nutritious roots, best exemplified by the artists listed above. And there will be local flavor as well, as the fest will be hosted by SoFla reggae-scene vets Lance-O and Ras Isaiah.
In addition to being an uplifting musical experience, the fest is geared toward being a healthy thing for our host planet as well, as there is a strong emphasis on environmental consciousness. A local farmers' market, composting, and recycling will be some of the earth-friendly activities festgoers can participate in as they sway to the grooves. All of this ought to amount to a lively fall day in Miami. Yes I!
Confirmed acts:Follow County Grind on Facebook and Twitter: @CountyGrind.
