Cover photo ©Jack McKain Skip Marley Island Stage interview By Shelah Moody ”Slow down, youth man, slow down Slow down, young girls, slow down” -Burning Spear, “Creation,” “Rasta Business” ”The smallest change in perspective can transform a life.” --Skip Marley Slow down. This may be the catch phrase of the current pandemic culture. While the…
devadminAugust 17, 2020
Grammy Nominated Singer/Songwriter Releases Solo Album Interview By Shelah Moody Straight out of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, vocalist Kumar Bent is gearing up to make a huge impact with his first solo album, “Kulture Walk,” releasing May 1st . In the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the former Raging Fyah frontman and his family are sheltering…
devadminApril 29, 2020
By Shelah Moody "As you can hear, my son, Baruch, actually rapped on that song. I’m very proud of him. I’ve never really told him to his face, maybe you can tell him for me. I’m proud of him, because usually when people write lyrics, it’s based on what they normally do. Luther Vandross sang…
devadminSeptember 9, 2019
Shelah Moody Photos by Patrick Niddrie &Mike Martinez “It’s really hard not to be influenced by Steel Pulse’s music and by what they’ve done and accomplished. They’re still so vibrant and alive; and touching people in such a way. So many people haven’t really been able to see and experience what an authentic reggae band is…
devadminSeptember 3, 2019
Saratoga, CA *CURRENTLY ON TOUR* By Shelah Moody “Stand in the circle of peace, cause only the willing will see their dreams.”— Ziggy Marley Popsicles, mani -pedi’s, beach balls, mini vacas and day trips. Good vibes. Some things just go well with summer. Add Ziggy Marley at Mountain Winery to that list. For several years,…
devadminJune 17, 2019
By Shelah Moody Olivia Newton John. The Bee Gees. Air Supply. Add rising star Natalli Rize to the list of innovative and powerful musical movements to arise from Australia. The dreadlocked, Melbourne born singer/songwriter/producer describes her style of music as rebel frequencies, which influenced the title of her latest album. Rize describes her style as…
devadminFebruary 10, 2019
By Shelah Moody Third World Founder Discusses Musicality and New Album Produced by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley
It does not have a title or a release date, but you can bet your last money that it will shoot to the top of the reggae charts. It’s a project that brings together…
devadminOctober 25, 2018
By Shelah Moody They don’t call him the professor for nothing. Two weeks before the Sept. 21 release his 14th full-length album, “Groundation: The Next Generation,” Island Stage sat down with Harrison Stafford, the band’s brilliant lead singer, producer and lyricist at a local café in Oakland, CA. As the former Sonoma State University…
devadminSeptember 21, 2018
By Shelah Moody So, you are Ziggy Marley and you are on tour promoting your new album, “Rebellion Rises.” You sing, you dance and bring joy to the masses. You work hard and find time for a bit of fun and moments of reflection in each city. There are endless sound checks and meet…
devadminSeptember 4, 2018
By Shelah Moody Island Stage Magazine What do reggae, blues, funk and improvisational music have in common? Prolific singer/songwriter/producer Harrison Stafford and Groundation have based their unique sound on fusing the music of the African Diaspora since they formed 20 years ago in Northern California. Propelled by Stafford’s mystic, reedy tenor, Groundation is perhaps the only…
devadminJuly 30, 2018
Review by Shelah Moody Photos by Rock N Robins Kabaka Pyramid and Protoje have a lot in common. Both Jamaican singer/DJs are leaders of reggae revival a movement of globally conscious Jah-centric, Afro-centric and dread-centric reggae/dancehall artists. This summer, both released dynamic albums that could easily become Grammy contenders for 2018. Ironically, both albums…
devadminJuly 15, 2018
By Shelah Moody “I'm not a Christian, I'm not a Muslim I'm not a Jew, it shouldn't matter to you I'm not a capitalist and I'm not a communist I'm not a socialist, I'm not the politics Tell me, are these the reasons, you can't live right?” —Ziggy Marley, “I am a Human,” from “Rebellion…
devadminMay 18, 2018
By Shelah Moody The Green perform Sunday, May 27 at the California Roots Festival, Monterey, CA, www.californiarootsfestival.com. I first fell in love with reggae music on the island of Oahu in the late eighties. I remember hearing Bob Marley and the Wailers--really hearing them on someone’s boom box pre-sunset on Waikiki Beach. I…
devadminApril 25, 2018
By Shelah Moody Kabaka: Noun: The traditional king of Buganda, a region and former kingdom of southern Uganda.-dictionary.com. Pyramid: Noun (in ancient Egypt) a quadrilateral masonry mass having smooth, steeply sloping sides meeting at an apex, used as a tomb. (in ancient Egypt and pre-Columbian Central America) a quadrilateral masonry mass, stepped…
devadminJune 25, 2017
By Shelah Moody “If you’re in Jamaica, if you’re not sick, you’re supposed to be doing fabulous,” said Bugle. During a Monday evening phone interview, rising dancehall star, Bugle answers my ice breaking question, “How are you doing,” with a hearty laugh. As it turns out, the baritone singer/DJ is doing mighty fine. He was…
devadminFebruary 6, 2017
Off to See The Wizard! By Shelah Moody Photos by Lee Abel With all of this green, there must be a wizard. During the weekend of Dec. 9-11, activist Tim Blake, in conjunction with producers Dan Sheehan and Thomas Cousins of Ineffable Live Music Group, presented the 13th Annual Emerald Cup—Northern California’s premiere cannabis competition,…
devadminDecember 22, 2016
Seven-Time Grammy Winner Launches Family Cook Book in Menlo Park, CA By Shelah Moody with Safi Wa Narobi of KPFA F.M. Berkeley “The food of my youth, and my wife’s Orly’s, continues to be the food of our adulthood. An Israeli of Iranian decent, Orly really understands food and family. She grew up in a…
devadminNovember 15, 2016
As Told to Olimatta Taal -Intro by Shelah Moody Sizzla Kalonji and the Fire House Crew perform Saturday, Aug. 5 at The 32nd Annual Reggae on the River Festival, Humboldt County, CA, www.reggaeontheriver.com. “The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.…
devadminJuly 14, 2016
By Shelah Moody Photos by Lee Abel Photography When you think of Harrison Stafford, Bob Marley’s song “Easy Skankin” comes to mind. Watching him open for Bunny Wailer at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, backed by an upcoming reggae band from Santa Cruz, CA called Pure Roots, singing and dancing with a joyous spirit,…
devadminMay 5, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 11, Miami, FL--“Warrior Ways,” the blazing new single from conscious reggae singer Fyakin, will be released on Friday, March 11. Produced by Fyakin on his Nyle Banks Music label, “Warrior Ways” is a militant track that showcases the rising young artist’s ebullient, melodic tenor and deft songwriting skills. “Warrior Ways” will…
devadminMarch 18, 2016
Article By Shelah Moody Photos by Lee Abel “From Jamdown to Boogie Down; hope you enjoy the trip.” –Marlon James This fall, acclaimed Jamaican author Marlon James arrived in San Francisco on the heels of winning the 2015 Man Booker Prize for his third novel, “A Brief History of Seven Killings” (Riverhead Books). James made…
devadminJanuary 7, 2016
Euphoria Under a Blood Moon: The First Annual Bay Area Vibez Festival Rocks Oakland, CA By Shelah Moody “Artists are the gate keepers of truth.”—Paul Robeson The city of Oakland became jewel of California when Tour’N Entertainment presented the first annual Bay Area Vibez Festival at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park during the weekend…
devadminNovember 4, 2015
By Shelah Moody Photos by Lee Abel “I don’t want to escape to the moon/Even if the world went boom/I just want to be with you/and do the right things to you,”— Ziggy Marley “I Don’t Wanna Live on Mars” Don’t let lead track on Ziggy Marley’s fifth solo album “Fly Rasta” fool you. “I…
devadminDecember 8, 2014
By Shelah Moody Photos By Lee Abel It’s about 3 p.m. in New York City, and Maxi Priest feels like he’s on top of the world. The Grammy nominated British reggae/soul singer has dropped into 21st Century Artists headquarters for a series of interviews in promotion of his tenth studio album, “Easy to Love” (VP…
devadminJuly 21, 2014