Kaya Fest 2019 has just announced that Kes the Band has been added to the line-up.  When Kes the Band hits the stage, nobody ever stays in their seat.  Their music and high energy performance creates an infectious excitement that can never be denied.  Inspired by their native melting pot nation of Trinidad and Tobago, Kes fuses together a unique blend OF SOCA, calypso, reggae AND POP to bring the sounds of the Caribbean to the world stage.

Rival Entertainment announced today another all-star lineup for the 2019 Candler Park Music & Food Festival. Returning to Candler Park for the 11th year on Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1st, one main stage will feature a stacked lineup of 10 artists, including Dispatch, Greensky Bluegrass, Dr. Dog, Trampled by Turtles, Stephen Marley, Larkin Poe, Funk You, Aqueous, & Webster. Sponsored by Athens-based Terrapin Beer Co., the family-friendly festival will feature local food vendors, brands and artisans from throughout Georgia.

On February 25th, the eight-time GRAMMY-winning musician Stephen “Ragga” Marley kicked off an intimate acoustic U.S. tour in support of his latest 5-track EP, One Take: Acoustic Jams, out November 2018 on the Marley family’s Ghetto Youths International imprint. For one month, the 23-city run will span the South, Southwest and West Coast.

Kaya Fest 2019 has just announced more exciting performers added to the Festival lineup. Multi-Platinum Grammy Award winning, international superstar Sean Paul joins the lineup. While cemented in reggae and dancehall from his home country, Sean Paul maintains a multi-national presence with numerous collaborations in genres such as EDM, soca, pop, afrobeats and Latin.

Kaya Fest is the creation of Stephen Marley, an eight time Grammy Award winner, singer, songwriter, musician producer and son of the legend Bob Marley.  It was named by the New Times as one of “Miami’s Ten Best Musical Moments of 2017!” Presented by Fruit of Life Productions it is scheduled to return Saturday, April 20th, 2019 / 1PM at Bayfront Park Amphitheatre, 301 Biscayne Blvd. in downtown Miami after a triumphant 2018 Sell-Out in California!

The second son of Bob and Rita Marley, eight time Grammy winning musician and producer Stephen was born on April 20, 1972; he began his career as a precocious six-year old singing, dancing and playing percussion with his siblings in the group The Melody Makers whose first single “Children Playing in The Streets” was produced by their father in 1979 and released on Tuff Gong, the label founded by Bob in the late 60s.

Ziggy Marley, the 49-year-old son of legendary reggae superstar Bob Marley and Rita Marley, has been playing reggae music for longer than his father was alive.  At Ziggy's well-attended "Rebellion Rises" show at Thalia Hall, a diverse crowd showed their appreciation for Ziggy's newest material, songs from Ziggy's earlier solo albums, a song from his previous group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, and of course several Bob Marley anthems.

It was great to learn that The Trey Anastasio Trio, as listed on the schedule, was actually playing as a quartet, given that Ray Paczkowski had just returned to his keyboard the night before, after recovering from a health issue. That may have been Trey’s first real interaction with the crowd, there before the encore, where he played two solo songs with his acoustic, including a lovely “Waste,” before bringing his bandmates back for a third together. I did love how he phrased it, the news about Ray being better, genuinely thrilled to share “some good news in what seems like a world of bad news.”

As Monterey woke up for day two of Cali Roots, there was a heavy overcast throughout the neighborhood. Thankfully clouds and thick fog are nothing new to reggae enthusiasts, and the festival proceeded without missing a beat. Day two was a day which focused on roots, both of Reggae and heritage. The artists that played Saturday had a much more thematic tie to family bonds, both those that we are born with, and the family we chose as we go through life.

The last day of a festival is always bittersweet, but fans came to the fairgrounds early to take in as much of Cali Roots as they could. Day three began as festival goers trickled in just as New Kingston wrapped up their sound check. Walking through the gates of the fairgrounds with this live music already playing earlier than usual proved an uplifting and exciting experience to the festival. Starting the day with New Kingston set a positive tone for the rest of the day.