“JazzReggae” is neither a typo nor the result of a
space bar that’s out of order. The lack of spacing suggests a
sense of togetherness, connection and unity ““ the very goals
of the UCLA JazzReggae Festival.
“The intention is basically to provide an alternative
learning environment for students to mix with people of different
cultures that they normally wouldn’t meet up with or mix with
in their classes or the dorms,” festival co-director Dana
Shayegan said.
This Sunday is dedicated to jazz artists Roy Ayers, Francisco
Aguabella, Russell Gunn featuring DJ Apollo, The Bad Plus, Emiliano
Rodriguez and the Modern Son Conjunto, and Blay Ambolley’s
Afrikan Jazz Ensemble. Monday belongs to reggae when Morgan
Heritage, Elephant Man, LMS, Mr. Easy, Mikey Dread, Farenheit,
Detour Posse, Cannons and Caribbean Xchange hit the stage. The 17th
go-around for this popular Memorial Day weekend event takes place
in Drake Stadium from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days.
“In the past, we try to put on artists who haven’t
necessarily reached their maximum potential,” Shayegan said.
“People have seen what’s happened here. It’s a
big event, and it has a great track record. People have seen the
success of the artists who’ve been here in the past. A lot of
artists will take a cut to perform in front of the L.A.
audience.”
Shayegan, fourth-year economics student, and co-directors Sarah
Diebel and Erin Bertigia take pride in reggae’s rising star
Sean Paul, who went from last year’s festival to a
performance on “Saturday Night Live.” This year’s
reggae headliner Morgan Heritage, a five-person band of siblings,
already has two Warped Tour appearances under its belt.
“(The festival) is a place for families to come out
together,” lead vocalist Una Morgan said. “Mothers,
fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, children, brothers and sisters
can enjoy real, authentic music.”
According to Shayegan, the festival also tries to include a UCLA
student or faculty member. Graduating senior Emiliano Rodriguez and
Assistant Adjunct Professor Francisco Aguabella, both jazz artists,
are this year’s campus representatives.
“I really wanted to play in the festival,” Rodriguez
said. “I’ve been going to the festival every year for
three or five years. Last year, a couple of my friends played, so I
figured this year would be my turn.”
When asked which performer he would most like to see, Rodriguez
immediately brought up Aguabella, whom he reverently called
“the conga master.” Aguabella is a Latin jazz legend
and one of the first Cuban drummers to make a mark in the American
music scene.
The festival has come a long way since 1987 when the relatively
tiny Westwood Plaza was the venue, and jazz was the only style of
music presented. Now the stadium-sized concert puts a larger
emphasis on reggae. According to Kenn Heller, the associate
director of the Center for Student Programming, reggae is a bigger
draw due to its lesser accessibility in Los Angeles.
An adviser to the project since its inception, Heller also
believes the festival has become an institution that fans mark on
their calendars.
“For the greater Los Angeles community, we provide a
low-cost event where people can bring their families and see the
high-caliber artists that are on some of the other
festivals,” Shayegan said. “We want to try to give an
opportunity for people of all different socio-economic backgrounds
who wouldn’t normally go to a festival.”
For more information, visit www.jazzreggae.ucla.edu/info.html.
Tickets available at the CTO or www.ticketmaster.com.