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Irie Vibes and Great Food at Ragga Muffins Festival in Long Beach
The 28th Annual Ragga Muffins Festival in Long Beach was a celebration of the diversity of Reggae Music. From the classics by legendary performers like Michael Rose (formerly of Black Uhuru), the Wailing Souls and Lee "Scratch" Perry to the electronic doodlings of Heavyweight Dub Champion to the near Hip-Hop stylings of K'Naan, there was something for everybody. Despite the wide range of reggae stylings, the message was universal --- "Love One Another"! (Well, that and "Legalize Marijuana). The message seemed to hit home as the crowd of a few thousand were moving as one with no trouble, pushing or bad vibes (and clouds of sweet-smelling herb smoke). There was more smoke outside the Long Beach Arena, eminating from some delicious barbecued foods being dished up by dozens of vendors.
Fans were eager to see the sons of Bob Marley perform and were rewarded by stellar performances from Julian Marley on Saturday and Stephen Marley on Sunday, with Ziggy, Stephen and Julian getting together to honor their father with an acoustic version of "Could You Be Loved" to close out Stephen's set.
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