Photos by One Love Cali Reggae Fest | Facebook
Written by: Miguel Calderon
Get ready to experience one of the most insanely stacked reggae, dub, and dancehall lineups of 2019! Back for its third year, One Love Cali Reggae Fest returns to the magnificent Queen Mary from February 8-10. With a waterfront view of Long Beach from the mainstage as well as the Queen Mary ship for those epic backdrop picture opportunities, One Love Cali is an event you cannot miss out on!
At the festival there will be merchandise and food vendors, so make sure to check them out in between sets. Speaking of One Love Cali sets…Journey with me as I highlight several artists worth checking out that will be playing throughout this weekend.
Mike Love
Born and raised on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, Mike Love is at the forefront of breaking musical barriers! Mike Love fuses his spirituality and message-based reggae and Rastafari music with progressive and classic rock sounds. Not only that, but he also fuses his music with pop, R&B, soul, blues, jazz and much more. As Mike Love would claim himself, healing is at the core of his music.
Rebelution
This California reggae band from Santa Barbara needs no introduction. Rebelution continues to be a touring juggernaut with sold-out shows at any venue they get to play. Their first-ever Grammy nomination was in the category of Best Reggae Album for Falling into Place. Not stopping there, Rebelution followed up with Free Reign, which, like their previous five studio albums, did not disappoint!
Soja
Soja formed in a D.C. area basement; and despite their success, they always want to remember where they started. They never want to lose the true magic of collaborating with their 8 piece band members. With all of this, Soja was able to create a dedicated fan base of over 7 million online followers and 300 million YouTube views. After two Grammy nominations, Soja continues to blaze trails with its music and unique sound. A true example of this can be seen on their most recent album Poetry in Motion.
Iration
Lastly, Iration is an alternative/reggae group from Isla Vista, CA. They are “all about luv” with their deeply rooted reggae influence and elements of rock and pop music. Most of the band members met while growing up in Hawaii but reconnected in Santa Barbara in 2004. When Micah Brown joined the group, the band formed and took off into musical stardom.
Should One Love Cali Reggae Fest come to an end and you’re still itching for more, do not worry as there will be after parties taking place on a boat on Saturday and Sunday evening! Saturday evening’s after party will feature none of that Collie Buddz and Sunday evening will be featuring Fiji. With both of these after party events, you’ll need to purchase separate afterparty tickets that aren’t included with regular One Love Cali Reggae festival passes. So don’t wait and head over to the One Love Cali Reggae Fest website to get your tickets and join in on the fun, because you’ll regret it if you don’t!
There are various festival pass options available for purchase including single day, 2-day, and 3-day GA and VIP options, after party tickets, in addition to VIP cabanas and table options for those looking to get out of the crowd and enjoy the festival from a private viewing area. Unfortunately, there will be no on-site parking at the Queen Mary as all parking will be off-site with a free shuttle servicing the festival goers so do plan accordingly!
