Reggae Roots Music Festival will turn Delaware into 'Little Jamaica' with island vibes

Townsend will transform into a mini Jamaica with island-themed bands and cuisine at the Reggae Roots Music Festival — Friday through Sunday at Firebase Lloyd.

The festival is about more than just tunes and food — vendors and a children’s zone also are on tap.

But the main attraction is the music. There will be more than 15 acts jamming at the second-year festival, including Bob Marley tribute band and headliner Jah People.

Hosting the fest will be Delaware's own Nadj N Jea.

The musical lineup also features Raymond Charles, RootSetters, Gwapstarr, I Yahn I, Tabernacle, Cultivated Mind, Philly Reggae Band, Xande Cruz, Caya Sol w/ Pearl, The Mad Dabbers, Solomon Dub, Mzs Quanny, Ragimuffin, Kenny Vanella & Higher Fire and Unity Vibration.

The popular Philly band Jah People is back by popular demand, after performing at the inaugural Reggae Roots last year. Band leader Dean Rubenstein said it’s cool dishing up Marley tunes in a state that the late Jamaican legend used to call home, back when he lived in Wilmington.

“Being the huge Bob Marley fan that I am, and all of the band members of Jah People are, playing in Delaware definitely holds a special place in our hearts,” Rubenstein said.

More:Bob Marley wrote some of his first songs living in Wilmington. This is his Delaware history.

“We have never been to Jamaica together, although we have visited there separately and it's undeniable when you visit Jamaica that you feel the spirit of Bob Marley. So playing in Delaware definitely gives us that special feeling that no other state in the U.S. can claim Bob Marley as a former resident.”

Fest draws 'old, young, Black and white'

Reggae Roots founder Dre Corbitt of Wilmington aims to attract 1,200 guests this weekend, double the number of patrons who showed up last summer.

Some of the improvements the founder made this year include adding three Caribbean-themed food vendors, a request fans made, he said.

Since Corbitt was surprised to discover a number of children attended last year’s event, this year he created a kid’s area called "Little Jamaica." It’ll feature face painting, games, an ice cream truck and an animal lover who will bring some reptiles to the space.

Corbitt said he was impressed by the overall diversity of last year’s turnout.

“I'm thinking a bunch of young people were going to show up, but everybody [came]: old, young, Black and white kids,” he said. “I was just like, 'Wow, this is actually something that brings all the different types of people together,' which is what I think is the most valuable thing about the event.”

One guest returning from last year’s Reggae Roots fest is Nena Falls of Silver Spring, Maryland.

“The entertainment was on point, there were great and talented reggae bands and great vibes!” Falls said in a Facebook message. “We danced late into the night. The MC and the DJ were awesome. We needed a big roots reggae festival on the East Coast and now we have it. We are so grateful to Dre and his team.”

Jah People delivers 'full experience'

The inaugural Reggae Roots festival was Corbitt’s first time running a festival. While he’s proud to have attracted 600 people during a COVID-19 year, he learned that running an event of that size with only three other people was a problem.

“It was hell, running around like a chicken with my head cut off the whole entire time,” he explained.

This year he has a team of about 12 people.

Feeling more prepared to accommodate guests this year, Corbitt is geeked to bring Delaware back to Jamaica for an event of peace, love and good vibes.

Headliner Jah People will be responsible for some of that.

“They're just an experience. ... I like when a lot of the members of the band sing,” Corbitt said.

“They’ve got a horn section, got steel drums; it's a full production. They give you the full experience of what a [strong] Bob Marley tribute band would give you.”

Reggae Roots Music Festival comes to Firebase Lloyd, 474 Fleming Landing Road, Townsend, on Friday (gates open at 6 p.m., Saturday (beginning at 11 a.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m.). General admission is $65 to $95 (plus fees); free for children age 12 or younger. For more information, visit reggaerootsfest.com.

Andre Lamar is the features/lifestyle reporter. If you have an interesting story idea, email Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Bob Marley cover band Jah People heads Reggae Roots Music Festival