WOMAD

Reggae Party Spectacular

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Featuring: VIVIAN JONES & THE RUFF CUTT BAND (Reading/London/Jamaica), AQUA LIVI & THE ROOTS IMANSION (Reading/Jamaica), MENE MAN (Reading), CLASSIC WONDER SOUND (Reading/Jamaica)Reading is home to some of reggae’s best international artists represented for the first time at WOMAD in a Reggae Party Spectacular. Featuring songwriter, producer and vocalist Vivian Jones one of the UK’s top reggae artists honoured with the British Reggae Industry Award for the Best Male Artist in 1991, Vivian has collaborated with many including Jah Shaka and Zulu Warrior releasing a string of albums and reggae chart hits like ‘Sugar Love’ and ‘Strong Love’. Backed by the band who provide quality music accompaniment for 90% of visiting top Jamaican and U.K. recording artistes touring all over the world the Ruff Cutt Band specialise in authentic Jamaican reggae music. www.ruffcutt.co.uk www.loversrock.com/artiste_profiles/vivian_jones.htm As a young man influenced by his father’s Reading based record shop, the foundations for Aqua Livi’s career as a successful reggae artist were set. He started out ‘toasting’ his self-penned lyrics with local sound systems and now has several albums recording including the most recent ‘He’s My Guide’. With a backing band made up of Reading most talented reggae musicians Aqua Livi and the Roots Imansion are committed, articulate, believable, entertaining and determined to achieve their ambition of enlightening people through the positive message delivered by conscious roots rock reggae.Versatile multi-instrumentalist and former lead singer with reggae band Vitamin X Mene Man is a prolific producer of his own unique style of reggae music producing tunes like ‘Predator’ and ‘Save the World’. Fusing reggae, ragga and rap Mene Man has worked with the likes of Channel One, Jah Works and Zion Train and set up his own label Tekel Productions to work with artists wanting to become reggae music industry professionals. Back from touring Europe Mene is here with his live band to promote his latest music on home ground.Classic Wonder has been performing for over 10 years to dedicated audiences in Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. The Sound, renowned for it’s unique style, effortlessly entertains audiences with a specialised sound system and a mixture of exclusive dub plates featuring international artists such as Bunny Wailer, Ziggy Marley, Freddie McGregor and Dennis Brown; as well as new generation artists like Beenie Man, Bounty Killer and Elephant Man. www.classicwonder.com The reputation of the sound and their ability to deliver means that they are regularly called upon to support international artists touring in the UK. Their experience and knowledge of the local reggae music scene makes them ideal hosts for the not to be missed Reggae Party Spectacular.