Reggae Night XV at The Hollywood Bowl
For 15 years Reggae Night at the Hollywood Bowl has provided Los Angeles reggae fans with a solid lineup, a beautiful venue and great memories. One thing that makes this year stand out? It's being billed as reggae legend Burning Spear's "final performance in California."
Winston "Burning Spear" Rodney is without question one of the most influential roots reggae artists of all time. His career, spanning over 4 decades, spawned a dozen Grammy nominations, including two Best Reggae Album wins for 2000's Calling Rastafari, and 2008's Jah Is Real.
In describing his farewell show at the Bowl, Rodney says, "California is home to one of my biggest fan bases in the U.S. and I could not walk away from the stage without performing for my many fans there. I thank the Hollywood Bowl for giving me the opportunity to do so."
In addition to the Grammy Award-winner, the lineup also includes the Maestro, Ky-Mani Marley, and "The Strong One," chart-topping singer Etana. Marley was a late add to the lineup, taking the place of veteran singer Cocoa Tea after it was announced in late May he wouldn't be performing due to unforeseen circumstances. KCRW DJ Jeremy Sole will play host for the evenings festivities.
Ky-Mani Marley has found success in both music and acting, having starred in the Jamaican films Shottas and One Love. His sixth studio album, 2015's Konfrentation Muzik release Maestro, was a huge success featuring appearances by Damian Marley, Matisyahu, Gentleman & Kreesha Turner. Marley's most recent collaboration with German artist Gentleman produced the Conversations LP dropping June 24th via Kingstone Records. The two will start a tour of Europe at the beginning of July in support of the album.
The first female to top Billboard's Reggae Chart in seventeen years (2014's VP Release I Rise), Etana has collaborated with a number of reggae heavyweights during her rise over the last decade. Her most recent release, The Way I Are (Natural Woman), is a message to women in support of natural beauty and is available now through Amazon, iTunes and all other major distributors.
What better place to send off a legend than the world famous Hollywood Bowl. The 17,500 capacity outdoor amphitheater is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and has played host to everyone from Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong to Elton John & Alicia Keys. Burning Spear will be in good company as past Reggae Night performers include Ziggy, Damian and Stephen Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Don Carlos, Sly & Robbie and Third World to name a few.
Reggae Night XV, part of KCRW's World Festival, will take place Sunday, June 26, 2016. The Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301 Highland Ave. in Los Angeles, CA. Tickets for Reggae Night XV are available through Ticketmaster and are on sale now.