The JazzReggae Festival at UCLA was divided into two days, and though the crowd and atmosphere were unique each day, together they contributed to the festival’s cohesive whole.
The crowd began arriving on the fields on Jam Day, the first half of the two-day festival, and hundreds walked around the multitudes of international food stands and shopped for Bob Marley paraphernalia. Right away, the people’s cool, relaxed energy made it obvious that they were there to have a good time.
With substantial space still left on the field for more people to arrive, Mateo’s soft crooning made people look up at the screen and pay attention to the music.
The crowd swayed and danced along to the tunes, including Mateo’s upbeat “Underneath the Sky” and his soulful and smooth a capella version of Jamie Foxx’s “Blame it on the Alcohol.”
Though it was surprising to hear an illicit behavior party anthem sung with a slow and happy vibe, it seemed to personify the festival as a whole. It was about just that ““ being happy to be surrounded by great music on a sunny afternoon in Los Angeles.
There seemed to be an enforced dress code of long summer dresses, many with Jamaican prints, and fedoras shielded many from the sun.
By 3 p.m., the field was almost completely full, and sunbathers awoke to purchase shave ice, Jamaican jerk chicken and smoothies a few feet in height.
An undeniable smell of herbal remedy wafted though the crowd, and it was no secret behind the relaxed vibe of the festival. Most of the artists mentioned blowing trees, asked, “Who’s smoking kush?” and a marijuana mascot paraded through the crowd.
The crowd got more riled up when Ayo was introduced, and she humbly thanked the audience for the opportunity to perform at this university. Ayo began to jam on an acoustic guitar with a tune that seemed to symbolize summer.
Her strong, smoky voice gave more energy to the audience, and people continued dancing to original songs and remixes of famous hits by other artists.
People Under the Stairs paid homage to jazz and reggae, without which rap and hip-hop would not exist, before their own hip-hop performance.
After De La Soul’s energetic performance, the concert slowed down as the crowd waited for headliner Erykah Badu to come on stage.
By this point, there was hardly any space between the blankets sprinkled on the field.
When Badu finally came on stage in a Public Enemy sweatshirt with a hood and a top hat on her head, the crowd was ecstatic.
Up front, most of the audience was singing along to her jazzy soul, knowing every word. Those who didn’t swayed and danced along. Though Badu didn’t play many of her bigger hits and well-known jams, few seemed to mind but were rather impressed by her vocal performance, drumming and fashion.
The entire day was relaxed yet energetic, with some napping in the sun and others constantly dancing.
If Jam Day was chill and relaxed, however, Reggae Day was anything but.
Headlined by Mavado, Reggae Day was loud, upbeat and never calm in energy. The dancing audience made it clear that it was there for a jamming good time, not a nap in the sun.
The energy was electrifying and the calm and soothing vocals of Jam Day were countered by upbeat reggae, Jamaican beats, rap and energetic dancing on the crowd’s part.
When Assassin took the stage, people began jumping up and down, waiving Jamaican flags, white towels and shirts in the air. The front half of the audience never sat down during the show.
The true spirit of the festival seemed to come alive when Machel Montano came on stage and got the audience moving even more, with songs about unconditional love, peace and harmony.
Jam Day and Reggae Day definitely had their own unique vibes and energy, but together the two days seemed to promote the same things: love, peace, happiness and good music.