cinequest, luminate, film & creativity festival

.Island Reggae Festival Brings Global Rhythms To Santa Clara

cinequest, luminate, film & creativity festival

“Island reggae” may seem redundant to those who associate it purely with Jamaica. But in fact, reggae is the adopted sound of islands all over the world. The headliner at the Island Reggae Festival represents two of them just on his own.
Born in Fiji and later adopting the name of his homeland as his standalone moniker, George Veikoso has actually lived most of his life in Hawaii. What’s more, the man now known as Fiji is perhaps best known for singing “Sosefina,” the famous traditional love song of yet another island nation, Samoa.
It may all seem confusing at first, but in reality, Fiji (who will celebrate his 20th anniversary in music at the festival) is the perfect headliner for this event. The IRF is not about “purity” or some kind of skanker-than-thou attitude, it’s about diversity, and the sheer breadth of the lineup is remarkable.
Common Kings combine influences from their background in the South Pacific and SoCal, creating a hip, modern fusion sound that still recalls classic reggae and R&B. Reggae singer-songwriter Raymond Leger is of Samoan and Tongan decent, and influenced by the genre’s all-time greats. Zhen is also Polynesian, a multi-instrumentalist who grew up shuffling between California and Hawaii.
One of the most interesting artists at this year’s festival, Vacano, actually grew up here in San Jose, before moving to San Diego, where he found his now trademark sound that effortlessly mixes hip-hop and reggae. Siaosi, Spawnbreezie, Native Elements and more will also perform; the South Bay’s DJ Nappy hosts.
THE ISLAND REGGAE FESTIVAL will be held Sunday, July 8, at the Great America Redwood Amphitheatre in Santa Clara, 10am-10pm; $30/$40.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

cinequest, luminate, film & creativity festival
santa clara valley gem & mineral society, jewelry show

Latest Giveaways

Oak & Rye Los Gatos

Enter for a chance to win a $40 gift card for Oak & Rye Pizza in Los Gatos. Drawing March 26, 2025.

Tickets to HAUSER

Enter for a chance to win tickets to HAUSER at the San Jose Civic on June 1. Drawing May 14, 2025.
spot_img
music in the park, psychedelic furs
10,828FansLike
8,305FollowersFollow
Metro Silicon Valley E-edition Metro Silicon Valley E-edition