Reggae: Past, Present and Future

I spent most of yesterday reviewing the history of the conflict over Reggae for a piece that comes out tomorrow, in part by looking back to the stories I wrote for the North Coast Journal since November. It occurred to me that some people coming to this site have no idea what transpired. Those interested in a crash course (from one journalist's perspective) are invited to read these Journal stories from the last nine months:




Basic intro: Clash Over Reggae - Nov. 16, 2006
A long piece detailing the beginning of the rift with back history. It hit the street the day before the fateful Nov. 2006 Mateel Membership meeting. It's far from perfect, but should serve as a primer.

SoHum in Counseling - Nov. 23, 2006
A report on the Mateel's annual membership meeting.

Crisis at the Mateel - Dec. 21, 2006
From the Journal's year-end wrap-up, Top Ten Stories (Scroll down: Reggae was No. 8.)

The Hum: Forever - Jan. 25, 2007
More or less a status update at the beginning of my weekly music column.

Reggae River Rising - Feb. 22, 2007
Reggae Rising announced - Mateel files suit.

The Journal's annual Summer Festival Guide May 23, 2007
It led with a Reggae news update and a comparison to other local festival troubles.

And for a flashback to brighter days, we'll end with Why Reggae? August 12, 2004
A cover story exploring Reggae from various viewpoints.

And Reggae Redux with photos from Reggae 2001

One more thing, look for a major piece on the Reggae conflict in the San Francisco Chronicle in the next few of days (Thursday?) by entertainment writer Joel Selvin. I had a long chat with him the other day (on background) maybe you did too.

Labels: reggae festival

I stumbled across this strange bizness this morning by accident.
This interview on the blog, This Socialite's Life with the actor turned director David Arquette explains how he was inspired to write a slasher/horror film titled "The Tripper" after a visit to Humboldt. The movie was released earlier this year on 4:20. According to Arquette, the plot concerns "a group of drugged-out hippies that go out to the redwood forest for a weekend long concert, that get hunted and attacked by a killer that's obsessed with Ronald Regan."

It gets weirder, and more specific...

Interviewer/blogger Josh asks: What inspired you on this movie?

David: I was at one of these concerts at a place called Garberville. It's in Humboldt county. I was at a concert called "Reggae rising." I was looking out at the field, a little wasted, and I thought, "Man, it'd be crazy if a killer came out of these woods and started hacking all these hippies up." That was one of the germs.

OK, I recall someone saying they saw David Arquette at Reggae, but needless to say it wasn't Reggae Rising, it was Reggae on the River. What does this tell us? I suppose that Reggae Rising has supplanted Reggae on the River, if not in the public eye, at least in the mind of one stoned actor.

Incidentally, the festival in the movie is not a reggae concert it's a retro rock fest. Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee) plays a concert promoter who is nothing like anyone I know. Watch the trailer here and laugh your ass off. (Warning it's ridiculously violent.) It's out on video in October.

side note: If you go to The Tripper MySpace, you'll find a banner ad link to Reggae Rising.

This came from the RR p.r. source. All you lurking playa-haters will have to forgive me for posting "festival propaganda" as one of you put it, but I thought this info might be useful to those planning on attending the upcoming event.
A couple of notes: artists in green are Humboldt homegrown. A journalism prof turned copy editor once explained to me that there is actually no such thing as a "first annual" anything. An event only becomes annual when it happens a second year. That said, here you go:

People Productions WELCOMES you to the 1st Annual Reggae Rising Music Festival

Friday, August 3rd Stage Schedule

Heavyweight Dub Champion: 12:30 AM- 2:00 AM (shown above at RotR 06)
Mr Easy (in Club Rising): 11:45 PM -12:30 AM
Anthony B: 10:15 PM - 11:45 PM
Fantan Mojah: 8:45 PM - 10:00 PM
Richie Spice: 6:45 PM - 8:00 PM
Collie Buddz: 5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
The Abyssinians: 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Queen Omega: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Streets to the Hills: 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Luna and Moese Angel: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Native Opening Ceremony: 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM


Saturday, August 4th Stage Schedule

Ziggy Marley: 12:30 AM - 2:00 AM
Sly & Robbie & Taxi Gang: 9:45 PM - 11:45 PM
Horace Andy
Cherine Anderson
Morgan Heritage: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Tanya Stephens: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Wisdom: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Soul Majestic: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Subliminal Sabotage: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM


Sunday, August 5th Stage Schedule

Damian Marley: 10:30 PM - 12:00 PM
Stephen Marley: 8:15 PM - 9:45 PM
Steel Pulse: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Freddie McGregor: 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Richie Stevens: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Ishi Dube: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Kim posted this as a comment on the Q&A with Garth Epling, so I assume the question is for him. I believe Garth took over as webmaster of the RotR website when Primo went to work for Reggae Rising. (I stand corrected, Garth was not webmaster.) I should point out that one reason Kim might be concerned is that he shot the bulk of the photos in the now-missing RotR online archive. You can find some of his Reggae photos here.


What happened to all of the content on www.reggaeontheriver.com?
The festival now has no web based institutional history, no testament to any good memories shared.
The 2 pages left on the website don't inspire me to hope that the Mateel will rebound from shooting off their feet.
Black background with red copy?
And a page of apologies.
After 23 years that is not the way to treat our history. What would it have cost to keep the content of the website available to anyone who wished to browse through years of good times? Surely the necessary band width isn't so expensive that the Mateel needed to dump everything in order to trim the expenses.
Who exactly made this IMHO foolish decision?
And how does it help the Mateel?
If one wants the Mateel to be long lived, I think we should be continuing our web presence.
What is this saying to the world?
It seems to me to be a further devaluation of the name of the festival itself!

Kim

Garth replies:

Fear not, the complete Reggae on the River archive is still stored on the host site. The Mateel has not abandoned its web presence as demonstrated by the frequently updated www.mateel.org website. The Mateel and ROTR websites are updated solely by volunteers at this point, and plans to resurrect the ROTR discussion board are in the works (again, through volunteer efforts). I assure you, this is not the end of www.reggaeontheriver.com.

The second was a reposting of RW's comment on the East Bay Express story, "Reggae vs. Reggae." On his own blog, RW pondered an ethical question aloud: EB-Express editor Nate Seltenrich asked if he would reveal his true identity so the paper could publish his comment as a letter to the editor. He chose not to do so, but did not really explain why.

I have chosen to publish excerpts from his post, basically to show why I opted not to put the whole thing up.

[note: image courtesy of The Black Library]

From: Reggae Warrior
Date: July 28, 2007 10:54:26 PM PDT
Subject: [Reggae: Past, Present and Future] New comment on CB Q&A.

Reggae Warrior has left a new comment on your post "CB Q&A":

"One thing I always try to do when I learn of a dispute or conflict is to ask myself: "what happened?" We all know the basic facts...."

This is followed by a long involved analysis of "what happened" with a premise primarily based on a rumored "smoking gun" e-mail that somehow no one has ever been able to produce. Sorry, but allegations you read in anonymous comments in your blog or elsewhere do not pass the "basic facts" test.

RW offers his capsule history of the conflict misstating some facts and coloring the actions of each side based on his preconceived notion of who's right and who's wrong. From there he returns to rumor mongering: " I suspect, but cannot prove other than by the circumstances, that" blah blah blah... "ambiguous e-mail" ... "That may seem" ..."I believe that" ... "it tells me all I need to know" ... "it should tell you the same."

As host and moderator of this blog, my choice was:

"Publish this comment."
or
"Reject this comment."

I chose rejection since his diatribe violates the simple rule stated above: "anonymous personal attacks and unsubstantiated rumors don’t make it though my filter." It's just my opinion, but I have found that the content on Reggae Warrior anonymous blog is almost exclusively personal attacks and unsubstantiated rumors, and further (IMHO) it ain't funny in the least.

I'm reminded of a speech at that fateful November meeting at the Mateel. Barb Truitt, dismayed at the personal attacks spewed throughout the evening, called for civility and reminded those assembled that things said that night could not be taken back -- and those were words offered in a public forum with faces attached to them. Once the debate went anonymous on the blogs, all hell broke loose and civility was out the window. The flames online proved almost as damaging as the flames of the arsonist who burned down the first Mateel Community Center. The 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love was celebrated with a Summer of Hate in that bastion of hippie values that once called itself the Mateel Nation.

Forgive me for ending on what might seem a trite note, but there's a song that was one of my favorites back in that fabled Summer of Love .

Love is but the song we sing,
And fear's the way we die.
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry.
Know the dove is on the wing
And you need not know why.
C'mon people now,
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try and love one another right now.
If you hear the song I sing,
You must understand,
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand.
Just one key unlocks them both;
It's there at your command.
C'mon people now,
Smile on your brother,
Everybody get together
Try and love one another right now.
Right now.
Right now!

"Get Together" written by Dino Valente, as sung by The Youngbloods...

Labels: reggae

The Reggae Rising p.r. department sent this short Q&A.
Note: I'm sending my own set of questions today.

Below are a few Questions and Answers recently asked of Carol Bruno/People Productions:

What is different about the event this year?

There will be a smaller population. There will be lots of green grass and lots less dust because we are not doing major construction. Best festival lineup of the summer. Finally able to book lots of women to perform.
Beach area at the Dome site free of campers and cars. Heaven Bus is back with Chris Deckker and the Earthdance Crew.
Expanded Opening Ceremony featuring Native Elders in unison with Rastafarian Elders and drum processional.
The High Altitude Dancehall Club on Friday and Saturday nights. Guest performances by Lexus, Collie Buddz and Mr. Easy, Dancers, Lighting, Sound Systems, Private Restrooms, Large Viewing Screens. Comes with VIP package.
VIP upgrades, along with General Tickets, can be purchased online reggaerising.com or at local outlets including the Dimmick Ranch box office, People Production office in Redway, Streetlight Records in San Jose, San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Check website for complete offerings.

What is the history of your involvement with this event?

I was on the Mateel Board of Directors when the original hall in Garberville was burned by an arsonist. We decided to do a Reggae festival as a fund raiser to help rebuild the building and called it Reggae on the River. I worked in a small trailer and then in two consecutive small offices organizing the festival for five years while we searched, found and purchased the land in Redway. I worked at the Mateel Center for the next 6 years as the Director and produced the festival in house. In 1994 PB, Doug Green and myself founded People Productions and continued to produced Reggae on the River, and other events as independent contractors. We eventually went our separate ways and today I am the soul owner of People Productions. This year Tom Dimmick, owner of the Dimmick Ranch and myself are working together along with the original staff and production team and many of the volunteers who formed the family that has worked together over 20 years to produce the traditional reggae festival in Southern Humboldt. The festival this year is called Reggae Rising.
My company and this staff have worked for many years and earned funds totaling in millions of dollars for the Mateel Center and many other no-profit organizations combined. We do this with love as a gift to our community and to help sustain its needs.

Why reggae music?

The spiritual essence and message in the music. It's church. Reggae Rising is dedicate to the music.

Who are your influences...how did you learn the business?

I learned the business by trail and error and many years of hard work in the school of hard knocks. It has been my life's work and it has brought me much joy and happiness.

Who and what will benefit from this year's event?

27 non-profit organizations and Fire Departments will benefit. Also a payroll of over 500 local people, scores of local business in Garberville, Eureka, Arcata and Laytonville and Willits.
Last year earned many of the non-profits more income than any other past year. They depend on it to fund their projects.

A conversation with Mateel Board of Directors Vice-President Garth Epling

With just nine days until Reggae, it seemed a good time to check in with the Mateel regarding ongoing issues. My call to Taunya Stapp was passed off to Mateel Board V.P. Garth Epling...

What's Up?

Well, it's about a week until Reggae weekend and I'm looking for an update from the Mateel perspective. I called Taunya, I assume she called you. Is she still employed by the Mateel?

We're going to contract with her for institutional memory on the legal issues.

You mean as the suit goes forward. What's the status of all that?

The status of the lawsuit? Right now we have a continuance. We had to do arbitration on the Dimmick agreement; that has a ways to go. It's delayed until I'd say late October or November.

Is the end plan with that to re-establish the Mateel's lease with Dimmick to do Reggae on the River next year?

We'll find out whether our lease agreement is valid or not and that will affect many other things, like damages etc. But honestly, even if the lease is proved valid, if there's a hostile landlord then what kind of situation would that be? We'll see how it works out.

I've heard that you were thinking about trying to do Reggae just at French's Camp.

Possibly, although Dimmick does have a three-year lease option that he obtained on that, and I think he's exercised that option so he kind of controls that side of the river as well.

Are you considering doing Reggae somewhere else?

Yeah, although I'd think we're looking at a smaller scale. Talking with our membership and local people, a lot of them want to see Reggae on the River return, but in a scaled back version, certainly under 10,000, more likely in the 8,000 range. We have some feelers out but there's no other site set. Right now we're focusing on the lawsuit.

Do you have an ongoing contract with Boots Hughston and 2b1 to produce the festival again?

Boots had the agreement for this last year and of course was unable to produce it due to all the legal conflicts. We may end up going with him again, certainly. We still owe Boots since he paid up front for Reggae 07.

How much do you owe him?

We owe Boots $150,000. We paid back half of what he paid us, but he's agreed to very reasonable payment arrangements, over three years and no interest, stuff like that. He's definitely here to help the Mateel out and to see Reggae go forward. If there's an opportunity to do Reggae in the future, I'm sure he'd want to step up and help us out with it.

Of course you could potentially just do it yourselves.

If we did it with Boots that would of course eliminate any debt we had with him, but there's also a possibility, if we did it on a smaller community level, that we could easily produce it ourselves. Summer Arts has turned into quite a festival. Ideally we'd like to see Summer Arts move to the [Southern Humboldt] Community Park eventually, but there are permit issues and things to be worked out.

Isn't there a big concert there tomorrow night?

I've heard rumors of that.

My friend has a ticket to see Hank Williams III there.

I'm not sure how that's working. I was talking to the caretakers and they're trying to keep in small scale, but Hank III seems like a pretty big deal.

What do you think about what could be described as the Mateel resistance against Reggae Rising? Mostly it's from some very vocal critics on the blogosphere.

I'll tell you a lot of our membership who did not want to see Reggae Rising go forward are kind of upset at us right now because they don't see us taking direct action against the County and stuff like that. The thing is, we do have legal fund backers, but money is tight and we have to pick and choose the battles we're fighting.

Did trying to stop Reggae Rising on the permit level seem like a losing proposition?

Our attorneys though it might be possible, but they felt the County would put up some heavy resistance and we might even end up having to sue the County to get it done. I don't think we were willing to go there. I know there were some individuals who were going to try to step up to try to block the permit, but it seems to me it's a little too late at this point. We wanted more time. The arbitration (on the lease issues) was originally scheduled for July 11, and our lawyers felt it was crucial to gather more evidence and do a few more depositions with the individuals involved. We have to explain everything to this retired judge.

So the plan was to get that done before the permit was finalized.

We were. But the attorneys said it would be a lot better if we got a continuance and put together more hard evidence. To get that extension, under the advice of our attorneys, the Mateel agreed not to interfere with the permitting process.

That was a shift in the nature of the fight. When I spoke with (boardmember) Bob Stern at Summer Arts he told me the Mateel was going to try to stop Reggae Rising, but it seems like instead you've decided to focus on a damage settlement.

It's all about monetary funds and paying attorneys. Personally I feel that we should be trying to stop something from happening on the same day, same time, same place as our festival, but the attorneys told us, 'You have to choose your battle.'

Jumping back to the middle of May, when negotiations broke down, it seems like there's a very real potential that in standing firm that the Reggae on the River name and trademark was paramount, you may have created a situation where that name may now have no value.

I think the Reggae on the River name still has quite a bit of value. Obviously it lost some value in this whole fight and in the fact that it won't be produced this year.

Do you have any regrets at not taking the deal offered?

I was shocked that the production company (People Productions) did not take our offer. We wanted $200,000 straight up depending on Planning Commission (attendance) numbers. The only holdup was that they wanted to use the Reggae Rising name. Honestly I think if we'd gone ahead and said 'OK, do Reggae on the River produced by Reggae Rising,' that would have devalued our name just as much.

As I understand it, the suggestion was to call it Reggae on the River and say, "presented by Reggae Rising and the Mateel Community Center."

Right. But once the Reggae Rising name was involved, I foresaw it as a delayed takeover of the event. The next year, you've boosted that Reggae Rising name up, advertised it, answered your phone "Reggae Rising," your tickets say "Reggae Rising," then in '08, you go 'OK, we're doing Reggae Rising now,' and you have that much more of an audience. I have no idea what ticket sales for Reggae Rising are right now.

An e-mail I got today says it's 75 percent sold out. If you do the math, that leaves around 2,000 to sell.
On another subject, there's a little controversy about a story published in the East Bay Express and the lack of input from your side. Were you ever contacted by a reporter from that paper?

I had an e-mail forwarded from the office, [sent to] a Mateel.org e-mail address. I think it was one or two days before the article came out. Of course with the low-power mode the Mateel is in, he might have called the Mateel office and not found anybody. Considering that they only talked to one side, I didn't think [the story] was terrible. Whatever. It was what it was.
But, yeah, mainly it's boiling down to financial stuff at this point. I'm watching our bridges get put in on the site right now. Our property is being used. One of the bridges alone cost around $55,000 a couple of years ago. And now we have a $33,000 payment we gave Dimmick; I don't understand the holdup in returning that to the Mateel.

I read in a comment on one of the blogs that the Mateel sent a letter to the Sheriff, the Highway Patrol and other authorities saying that you consider your property as stolen.

The lawyers did draft some sort of demand letter saying, "Give us our property back or pay us for it. And by the way maybe you'd like to send back our lease payment as well. We're obviously not exercising our rights to it."

Do you think they should not use the bridge?

Well, I think all the infrastructure down there is the Mateel's property; it's not even in contention. It would have been nice to have received some funds for it.

I would suppose the use of your property is another thing added to the lawsuit, something a judge will look at.

It is definitely in the legal grounds now. As I said, some members still want to take it before the Board of Supervisors, but I think at this point it might be a little bit late. I don't think the Planning Commission ever officially decided to give the event to Reggae Rising. They just accepted that there was a permit and an event going on.

I'd say they made that clear from the beginning. They did not want to decide if it would be Reggae on the River or Reggae Rising. I'd have to say, in Humboldt County, you just call it, Reggae.

(Laughs.) Yeah. I guess for me it all boils down to who's going to profit from it. It's no longer an event that benefits the Mateel.

But that was once on the table: an ongoing cash stream of $200,000 a year.

Sure. That was our offer.

I guess I still don’t understand why you didn't go for that.

On the flipside, why did they want to use the Reggae Rising name?

Well, from their point of view, because they had invested in advertising, poster and so forth...

What they told us was they were afraid they'd lose ticket sales because they'd advertised Reggae Rising.

And there was a very public announcement that Reggae on the River was cancelled...

This was before that happened. We offered to transfer all the tickets we had sold as part of the deal. The only sticking point was the Reggae Rising name. We offered them, in case they did not sell out, we said we'd take out [the value of] each ticket that did not sell from what they owed us. Really it seemed like a no lose situation for them. But it's all water under the bridge at this point.

What's the status of the Mateel Community Center? You just had a concert on Monday. I heard it went well.

It was a successful show. We're definitely not a production company...

While that was billed as a Mateel Forever show, I heard it was put on with money from one family.

Yeah, we've got some financial backers who are willing to put up their own money, at their own risk, to benefit the Mateel.

Any truth to the rumor they're trying to get Prince to play there?

That's a low possibility. I've heard the rumor and we discussed it in an events/talent meeting, but I don't know if it will happen. We are going to shoot for larger name events, and in all musical genres, not just reggae.

Are the ongoing community programs still using the hall?

We're trying to keep that up. We have just one staffer right now, which is Justin Crellin, who does the events/talent stuff. He's paid for one day a week, but certainly volunteers more of his time. We have various board members and members of the community stepping up to help with the day-to-day tasks of the Mateel. It's going to continue on. We're keeping the doors open. The soup kitchen is still there four days a week. We're tightening our belts and preparing to go forward while trying to keep the community center available.

What do you know about Mateel Partnership for Nonprofits? It that separate from the Mateel?

It's going to be inside the Mateel. It's run by Kate Crockett. She was involved in the Trees Foundation. She evolved the idea of that type of partnership. She's volunteering her time to deal with that partnership initiative.

What's the idea behind it?

Just to raise money for various nonprofits that might have been hurt by Reggae on the River not going forward, and not just for the short term, for years to come.

Are you talking about nonprofits that chose not to have a booth at Reggae Rising?

No, that's not actually the case. Even if a nonprofit had a both at Reggae Rising, if they can show that they had somehow been hurt by the cancellation of Reggae on the River, they would still be eligible to join that partnership, say if they make less money than the year before.

What do you think about the "Reggae Warrior" website?

I honestly haven't read any of that. I've seen his posts on Eric's (SoHum Parlance) blog but haven't gone to the site.

So you are not Reggae Warrior?

No, I can definitely say it's not me. Why was that put out there somewhere? Is someone spreading rumors?

No. Just squelching them before they start.

Live if you want to live
Rastaman vibration yeah! Positive.
I and I vibration yeah! Positive.
I a man iration yeah! Irieites.
Positive vibration yeah! Positive.

If you get down and quarrel everyday
You're saying prayers to the devil, I say.
Why not help one another on the way?
Make it much easier.

Say you just can't live that negative way,
You know what I mean.
Make way for the positive day:
'Cause it's a new day,
New time, new feeling yeah!
Say it's a new sign.
Oh what a new day.

Picking up,
Are you picking up now?
Jah love, Jah love protect us. (repeat)

Rastaman vibration yeah! Positive.
I and I vibration yeah! Positive.
I a man iration yeah! Irieites.
Vibes, got to have a good vibe.
Picking up,
Are you picking up now?

by Bob Marley from Rastaman Vibration

It was just a matter of time before the Bay Area alt. weeklies picked up the story of our local conflict. Eric K. Arnold of the East Bay Express offers a compressed history titled "Reggae vs. Reggae," but since, as he put it, "Neither the Mateel Community Center nor 2b1 Multimedia responded to calls and e-mails seeking comment," the story is pretty much told from the Carol/Tom Reggae Rising P.O.V.

That's the complaint of Georje Holpe of Redway, who wrote the EB-Express to say:

All is not irie

As a member of the Mateel Community Center, I wish to say a few things regarding your one-sided, biased article. For the Mateel Community Center's point of view, talk to their lawyers. The staff of the community center has been laid off, and does not have the funds to hire a slick public relations firm, like People's Productions takes advantage of.

A large majority of the population in South Humboldt and North Mendocino counties are outraged that "People's Productions" — a for-profit corporation — hijacked a two-decades-old community-sponsored event that benefited our local, nonprofit organizations. For all the years Reggae on the River has been in existence, the Mateel Community Center fronted the seed money to put on the festival. People's Productions reaped the profits without having to invest their own money. Carol and Tom's offer of $200,000 was not going to be paid up-front and was not guaranteed. Boots and 2b1 Productions made an offer of $350,000 up-front and half the ticket sales.

Most importantly, "REGGAE ON THE RIVER" IS NOT FOR SALE AND NEVER HAS BEEN FOR SALE. The community is not willing to sell. I'm sure Tom and Carol wish the whole little problem of an outraged community would go away, but all is not irie when Reggae on the River becomes Babylon Rising.

Many of Humboldt County's nonprofit organizations rely on having a food booth at Reggae on the River as part of their yearly income. Many local nonprofits, including schools, volunteer fire departments, the community radio station, environmental groups, feel so strongly that this year's reggae festival is unethical, they have chosen to stand in solidarity with Mateel Community Center by not having a food booth at the festival this year.

For anyone attending the event, be forewarned: All sorts of protests and actions are being planned by the community at large.

this came in as a comment on the post below:

As an outsider this whole mess seems like both sides are fighting over a golden goose by each grabbing its neck.

About a dozen Bay Area friends and I have been attending ROTR since '89 and happily spending our $$ at the non-profits. This year, I could not find anyone willing to go because the vibe seems so bad. I doubt that we are alone in our sentiments.

Seems like there should be a civil way to handle disagreement within your community. At least you'd keep the dollars coming in from outside of it.

Good luck with your war - I prefer peace.

Happy Reggae (War is Over)
(with apologies to John Lennon & Yoko Ono)

So this is Reggae
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Reggae
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very Merry Reggae
And a happy Mateel
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Reggae
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Reggae
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight

And so this is Reggae
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so happy Reggae
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very Merry Reggae
And a happy Mateel
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now

Happy Reggae

The SoHum "Clash over Reggae"® just gets more and more bizarre, lately lurching from tragedy into farce. I found this note from local politi-organizer Paul Encimer buried in the comments over at the strange Mateel partisan site, Reggae War Justice Watch.

NONVIOLENT NAVY POTLUCK AT TOOBY PARK, GARBERVILLE

Nonviolence on the River will meet again at Tooby Park outside Garberville on Saturday July 21 from 11 am till 2 PM. The previous workshop on July 7 focused on the theoretical – defining nonviolence, consensus and affinity group formation as well as establishing a Southern Humboldt Workshop in Nonviolence to provide ongoing background and preparation in nonviolence.

The workshop on July 21 will take a more action oriented approach. In particular, Reggae Uprising activists will be offering scenarios and role-playing around possible events in Piercy the first week-end of August should the county or courts allow a local corporation allied with a landowner to usurp a community owned event. After some preliminary discussion and agenda setting, the nonviolence workshop will move to the nearby river for scenarios and role playing.

This will be a Nonviolent Navy Potluck so bring something capable of floating you, and perhaps others, on the river. For safety and solidarity, these floating elements – inner tubes, small rafts & boats, rubber and plastic pool creatures – will be linked together. The result will be what organizers have dubbed: FloatZilla. Good swimmers are needed, too.

Other scenarios - for those adverse to water sports - can be entertained meanwhile on the beach. These include the formation of a Critical Mass contingent, various in-town and on-site Reggae Truth Booths, and additional forms of protest.

Organizers from the Congressional Accountability Project will be on the beach as well, to provide updates on the campaign to end funding of the war, keeping our troops at home and impeaching the war criminals.

Activities have included Monday vigils at Rep. Mike Thompson’s offices in Eureka and Ft.Bragg from 10 am on, regular civil disobedience at these offices, phone and email campaigns to Senators and Congressmembers and, in late September, a march on Washington D.C and the occupation of the Congress while in session, with simultaneous local actions. Bring snacks and drinks to share. For more info call Paul at 923-4488 or contact encimer@hotmail.com.

Okay, am I the only one who sees twisted irony in an anti-war activist mounting a naval attack as part of a war on Reggae? The fact that he's doing so while somehow trying to cling to his anti-war roots turns the whole thing into something bordering on true satire, which I must say is something I find in short supply when it comes to the rantings of the mysterious Reggae Warrior.

Side note to Mr. Taylor, or whatever your name is: posting comments on local sites unrelated to Reggae with invitations to your site is tantamount to spam. And if you must do so, you might want to think about leaving the @ out of the web address.

Labels: reggae war spam

The special meeting of the KMUD Board of Directors on Monday was supposed to focus on the question: "Should 50% of the proceeds of the KMUD Ice Coffee Booth at the Reggae Festival be given to the Mateel Community Center?"

The result was another impassioned community forum, broadcast live on KMUD, about the ethical issues surrounding the ongoing controversy. Sorry I do not have time to transcribe the various speeches, which went on for nearly an hour. Thanks to the amazingly convenient KMUD archive with podcasts and downloads, you can listen to the discussion here.

As new general manager Brenda Starr noted, the money from the booth makes up 50 percent of KMUD's events income. Someone else pointed out that the money is only one percent of the station's total budget. There was a lot more talk that had little to do with money and more to do with moral values.

In the end the 50% to the Mateel idea fell by the wayside with the question turning into whether or not KMUD should sell their famous Mud at Reggae Rising at all.

The meeting concluded with two motions, first one to rescind the previous vote to have a booth. That passed, then a second issue was addressed: Should KMUD decline to do the coffee booth at Reggae Rising?

Said Brenda Starr, "Discussion included its fiduciary and fiscal decision making and 'where's the love?'"

The bottom line: the board voted unanimously to decline participation in Reggae Rising.

There was talk of the impact on the next fund drive and of an alternate fund raiser.

And as Brenda noted, "In light of the situation, a hat was passed for KMUD donations and $600 was raised."