We are proud to present the LARGEST reggae festival to hit the islands in years – The Kolohe Festival – March 4 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului. Boasting a line-up of artists like no other, the Kolohe Festival will feature 30-year UK roots veteran, Steel Pulse, the last remaining Wailer of Bob Marley & the Wailers, Bunny Wailer, and St. Croix reggae sensation, Midnite. Rounding out this bill will be Hawaii’s reggae pride, Humble Soul, plus Native Elements (based in CA, loved by Hawaiian fans & radio), and Hawaii’s Reggae Ambassador, Marty Dread. Please join us at THE festival of the year – March 4 at the The MACC.
The Kolohe Festival will establish itself as THE festival to be a part of every year, becoming renowned for the legendary artists who come from around the world, local reggae favorites, and green grass to dance on surrounded by arts, food and drink vendors. All international artists featured at the Kolohe Festival will be fresh from the RaggaMuffins Festival Tour, (Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Cruz, CA) which is the largest and longest running reggae festival on the Mainland, US.
Good Vibez & Natural Mystic Productions Proudly Present:
Kolohe Festival – Hawaii
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Maui Arts & Cultural Center (The MACC) – A & B Amphitheater – One Cameron Way Kahului, HI 96732
Featuring an all-star lineup of reggae’s greats:
Steel Pulse, Bunny Wailer, Midnite
Plus Native Elements, Humble Soul & Marty Dread
And Special Guest Djs Boomshot & Addaman
MC Spence Jah
Gates 1pm, Show 2pm til 10pm
ALL AGES
$35 advance/$42 day of show (plus applicable fees)
Advance tickets available at: MAAC Box Office, in Kihei at Beach Road Records, in Lahaina at the Old Lahaina Book Emporium & Groove 2 Music (Lahaina Cannery Mall), by calling 808-242-SHOW (7469) and online at www.mauiarts.org
More info at: www.kolohefestival.com
Maui Arts & Cultural Center Info:
The Maui Arts & Cultural Center was established in 1994 as a place where the community could gather and celebrate together – we look forward to celebrating with you at the Kolohe Festival! From either Kahului Beach Road or Ka’ahumanu Ave, turn onto Wahinepi’o. The MACC is between the Maui Community College Campus and Keopuolani Park. www.mauiarts.org
Don’t miss out on the LARGEST festival of the year…..KOLOHE FESTIVAL!!!
More show info go to: www.kolohefestival.com
Press Inquiries – contact Amy Shapas of So You Can at 831-479-0711 or [email protected]
The Kolohe Festival features eight full hours of music presenting international artists Steel Pulse, Bunny Wailer and Midnite, plus Humble Soul, Marty Dread and Native Elements. Below are short bios on each artist. Click on the link to read more about these greats!
Steel Pulse: www.steel-pulse.com
Steel Pulse became one of reggae’s most successful bands in the late ’70s and early’80s. They first signed on with Island Records, and recorded the legendary "Handsworth Revolution" in 1978. Their contemporary blend of roots reggae and European pop combined with socially conscious lyrics made them an instant hit. Early gigs had them opening for acts as the Clash, Generation X, the Stranglers, XTC and the Police, and they had quite a following in the British punk movement of the late ’70s. Their next two albums "Tribute to the Martyrs" and "True Democracy" sealed their fate as inheritors of Bob Marley’s legacy.
The original members of Steel Pulse, keyboardist David Hinds, bassist Ronald "Stepper" McQueen, guitarist Basil Gabbidon, and Selwyn Brown, are all from West Indian immigrant families the Birmingham Ghettoes of Handsworth, England. Steel Pulse may have explored various styles of music since they started out in 1975, but when it comes to the message, the UK’s Grammy-winning reggae band has remained close to their roots. They have continued their commitment to fighting injustice, educating the masses, and promoting positive messages through spiritually uplifting music.
Bunny Wailer:
Born Neville O’Riley Livingston, in Kingston, Jamaica, Bunny Wailer’s relationship with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, the two other principal members of the Wailers in the 60s and early 70s, stretches back to his childhood, when Marley and Wailer lived under the same roof in Trench Town (a notorious Kingston ghetto). As teenagers, Peter, Bob, and Bunny would spend their evenings practicing harmonies tutored by Joe Higgs (veteran reggae superstar). In the early 60s, as the nascent Jamaican recording industry began to gather strength, the trio formed the Wailers, recruiting other friends into the fold.
With Island Records founder, Chris Blackwell’s understanding of contemporary rock markets, and the emphasis on albums and live shows, the Wailers brought the sound of roots reggae to an international audience with Catch a Fire (1973) and Burning (1973), the latter featuring two fine songs from Bunny, ‘Hallelujah Time’ and ‘Pass It On’. These albums broke the Wailers outside of Jamaica gaining a new worldwide respect and focus for reggae music. However, this success had taken its toll on the group. Bunny, for largely unspecified reasons, seemed reluctant to take part in the endless globetrotting necessary to consolidate success in Europe and America. By 1974, just prior to the release of Natty Dread, both Peter and Bunny left the group to concentrate on their solo careers.
Bunny inaugurated his own Solomonic label upon which all of his recordings have since appeared in Jamaica. His first solo records, Searching For Love had emerged in limited quantities in the early 70s. Wailer’s subsequent albums continued with varying degrees of success, until he adapted to incorporate aspects of the burgeoning dancehall style, hitting big with records like Riding. An album of Bunny’ covers, Bunny Wailer Sings The Wailers, garnered further critical plaudits, followed by a similar collection entitled Tribute To the Hon. Robert Nesta Marley, in honor of the passing of his old spar. He has won a Grammy-Award three times.
Midnite: www.midniteband.com
Hailing from the Island of St Croix, Midnite is one of the most promising roots reggae bands of the millennium. They are vanguards of conscious reggae whose profound and innovative lyrics are sincere and deeply rooted. Their cd recordings and live performances will have reggae and non-reggae listeners open to the messages they bring.
Lead singer Vaughn Benjamin’s electrifying voice seems an amalgamation of many great voices in reggae–soulful, chanting, edgy. Vaughn’s potent lyrical style and his brother Ron’s exquisite musical directorship and outstanding bass lines form the nucleus of this group. Sticks man Christian ‘Sly’ Molinna-Curet layes down crucial one-drops on drums, while Ankh Watep bubbles on keyboards. Edmund Fieulleteau and Kenny Byron round out the crew with their excellent guitar work. Midnite weaves the cultural lyrics of "old school" roots music with modern day experiences to create a unique listening encounter. Reggae – naked and raw is an apt description for Midnite’s musical style, in which they forgo the frills of extensive remixes, overdubbing and other musical refinements.
Midnite explodes in live performances with sets that often exceed 3 hours. Their vigorous, weighty sound, driven by the punchy bass lines creates a vibe that penetrates straight to the heart. These epic musical communions have earned Midnite an enormous following throughout the roots community.
Native Elements: www.native-elements.com
Without a doubt, San Francisco’s own Native Elements are one of the hardest working and most respected bands in the Northern California reggae scene. With a myriad of musical influences ranging from classic r&b soul to the deepest tradition of Jamaican and English dub, Native Elements delivers a dynamic sound that appeals to all music lovers. The culturally diverse music scene of the San Francisco Bay Area has fueled their creative flow from the start. After explorations with rock, funk, blues, and r&b, Native Elements has set their repertoire firmly in the roots-reggae tradition. They combine their colorful influences into an amalgamation of positive, vibrant music that speaks from the heart.
Native Elements has been reaching audiences around the globe with their conscious music. Their contagious harmonies and powerful rhythms have won over praise from musicians, fans and critics alike. Even some of the most discriminating Jamaican ears have found Native Elements’ sound to be as authentic and genuine as their staple of music back home.
Humble Soul: www.myspace.com/humblesoul1
Encompassing the spirit of aloha and the soul of reggae music, Hawaii’s own Humble Soul continues to warm the hearts of music lovers from the shores of the Pacific rim to the blazing tip of South Africa with his distinctive style of honest "Hawaiian-Roots-Music". His poetic anthems and understated melodies have been consistently celebrated by concert and festival goer’s of all kinds. Thankful in every way, Humble Soul feels very blessed by the tremendous support of his family of growing fans. He keeps a low profile off-stage, however, Humble Soul’s passionate live delivery and recorded music speaks volumes.
Marty Dread: www.martydread.com
Martin Charles Hennessey (Marty Dread) was named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he was born in the Bronx, New York in 1969. When Marty was eight years old, his father passed away and his mother moved the family to Maui, Hawaii. The change from concrete jungle to botanical jungle was great, and Marty was quick to adapt to the laid-back ways of his new island home.
Marty’s life was again changed forever in 1981 when he was exposed to the music of Bob Marley. Marty was hooked! He began singing with local bands and, at the age of 16, performed at the Maui County Fair. After graduating from Maui High School in 1987 with a 4.0 GPA, Marty was selected by the Youth Ambassadors of America to travel to the Soviet Union to assist in the creation of a mural, "Maui to Moscow" – a gift of peace from the children of Maui to the children of Moscow. The following year, Marty and his new reggae band performed for an international audience at "Moscow meets Maui" – a concert on Maui that honored the Soviet students Marty befriended while in Russia.
In 2003, Marty Dread released a collection of hits from the first ten years of his recording career, plus six previously unreleased songs, and continued to tour far and wide. With music and purpose, Marty Dread is poised for the future as Maui’s premier Reggae Ambassador.
Don’t miss out on the LARGEST reggae festival of the year…..KOLOHE FESTIVAL!!!
More show info go to: www.kolohefestival.com
Press Inquiries – contact Amy Shapas of So You Can at 831-479-0711 or [email protected]