Photos By: Marie Mendoza
Queen Mary Park in Long Beach California was immersed in mellow and positive vibes on * date when MVP Productions threw down their first Sumerfest LA reggae festival. Planning on making this an annual event, MVP ***look on site for info
Some of reggae’s heavy hitters were in the house and concert goers made no qualms about showing how much they adored the performances. Huge amounts of love permeated the place and audience members demonstrated their feelings through tumultuous applause. King Yellowman was "crowned again" by patrons who went beserk when he appeared on stage.
The dancehall DJ legend who rose to iconic stature over # of years, was missed on the regular festival circuit and Long Beach sure did show him how much. Rushing the stage an enthusiastic crowd absolutely roared as they grooved to his tracks. Energy propelled energy and King Yellow gave some serious high energy moves to a cheering crowd. Hamming it up, Yellow man, referred to by one fan as, just as good if not better than he was in the 80’s, had people laughing hysterically at his wit as he had many jokes up his sleeve.
With the crowd in the palm of his hand this undisputed dancehall ruler, performed songs like, "Come Back Darling" and the Elvis driven, "Blueberry Hill." Dancehall DJ greats outnumbered singers on a roster that included Lady G, Ninja Man, Beenie Man, Lady Saw and culture master, I Wayne.
I Wayne’s stern yet gentle persona, coupled with that smooth voice and almost floating stage presence gave him big props – especially with the ladies.
DJ divas, Lady G and Lady Saw gave their all. Everyone was singing along as Lady G enchanted the crowd. Always maintaining a "level head," she performed "Enough Respect" connecting with the women and her "dope" performance included a song about anti child abuse. Just the mention of her name had the crowd went in a frenzy… then Lady Saw took to the stage, full of energy and charisma. She performed songs like, "Right Rope You Walked" and "No Less Than a Woman,” dedicating the latter to all females.
Draped in a white suit, Ninja Man got on stage and the crowd went ballistic. This was the first time he had ever appeared in LA and people made him feel loved. Dancing the entire time, his hungry fans just gobbled it up. Performing songs like, "Murder Dem" and "Girls Dm Suga," Ninja Man was "killin it" on stage.
When Beenie Man appeared, the crowd went absolutely nuts. Flags and hands were waving in the air as The Doctor had the crowd chanting. Wayne Wonder and Lady Saw joined Beenie Man on stage for a special performance. Paying tribute to Bob Marley, Beenie Man ended off with the song "Redemption."
Also appearing were Bascome X, who gave a solid show, Boom Tony, who swooned the ladies, E-Dee, Jamina and Ninja, as well as Mello Banton and Bugsy Malone all of whom performed well.
