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DJ Daddy Spleece. Bob Doran | Union
For the second year in a row, Humboldt Hot Air KHHA 97.4 attended Reggae on the River to get the inside scoop on this iconic Humboldt event. KHHA’s fellow local community radio station KMUD hosted a well-organized, cozy, and fun media tent where artists came through all day for interviews with artists like with Julian Marley, Hempress Sativa, Small Axe, Third World and more.
Here’s what Humboldt Hot Air director Neroli Devaney had to say about her second year covering the festival, “Reggae on the River has a legacy in our community unlike any other festival, and the 36th year did not disappoint, bringing quality entertainment and cultural value that can only be found at Reggae on the River.”
The information section on the festival’s website sheds some additional light on its origins and impact: “Reggae on the River was established in 1984 as a fundraiser to rebuild the Mateel Community Center after their original location, the old fireman’s hall, was burnt down. This event created a merger of Northern California cannabis culture with Jamaican reggae music. Over the course of the last 40 years, over half a million people have made the pilgrimage to this unique setting in Humboldt County on the Eel River,” they shared.
Devaney also interviewed Bob Doran as a part of Humboldt Hot Air’s preparation for the festival. They discussed its history, the different world-renowned artists that have come through, and its cultural and economic relevance to the Southern Humboldt community.
Bob Doran is a long-time attendee and journalist who has been covering the festival since 1991 when it was first starting to grow. When asked what keeps him coming back, he said, “I’ve been almost every year since I started attending, mainly because it’s like a family reunion, seeing old friends, some that I know only through Reggae.”
Rasta blessing which took place at the beginning of the festival, Neroli Devaney | Humboldt Hot Air
In 2004 Doran wrote a piece for the North Coast Journal titled, “Why Reggae” which sheds some light on the connections people have with the festival. The article is a wonderful archive of the breadth of experience the festival contains and the connections Doran references.
Here’s one example from Vidal Angel, an artist from Northern Mendocino, who had been attending Reggae for 20 years at that time. “For me reggae music is the music that rallies the rebel in all of us. It breaks down the barriers between cultures and all the borders that men have put upon themselves for centuries and a millennium. If we don’t come to an understanding of peace, love and respect for each other and respect for nature, we won’t survive.”
It’s clear that Doran enjoys the message just as much as the music, “I love documenting the event, meeting new people who seem to be open minded,” he said. When asked about his standout performances from Reggae this year he said, “I dug Luciano for his conscious message, and also Skadanks, with Rocker T, a band that first came together in New York in the eighties, playing roots ska with rap, old friends that have kept together seemingly forever.”
When asked what he would say to change the mind of someone who has negative preconceived notions about Reggae on the River Doran simply said, “It helps if you like reggae music.”
To listen to Bob Doran and Neroli Devaney’s full interview, you can find it on the Humboldt Hot Air SoundCloud or through the link below. Be sure to tune in to KHHA 97.4 for more local community centered radio, you might discover your new favorite artist! soundcloud.com/humboldthotair/river-daze-bob-doran-neroli-devaney-on-reggae-on-the-river
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