For an 18th year, Reggae Night at the Hollywood Bowl maintained its established tradition of pairing classic icons of the one-drop universe with its rising youth, under the July night sky, though not without a near-miss. Once among the leading artists of the island sound, now celebrating their 46th year as a group, Third World served as the icon, in the opening slot. Following their hour-long set was to be newcomers Kabaka Pyramid, with now-veteran reggae supernova Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley headlining and closing the weekend evening’s annual celebration.
Third World, indeed, played the role of legendaryrepresentative, not only for reggae but for talent originating on the island ofJamaica. Whether making the keytarsomehow cool, or reliving their peak of commercial success with “96 Degrees inthe Shade,” they were as sharp and as soulful as in their ‘70s heyday. Mystifying the sold-out Bowl with a nod toBob Marley- an instrumental version of “Redemption Song” on cello- or with an homageto Pavarotti- yes, Pavarotti- or swirling The Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (AreMade of This)” into their final entry, Third World’s place in reggae lore onlygrew in depth and stature.
As for Kabaka Pyramid, the mere fact that they appeared atall ended up nothing short of improbable. Traveling 20 hours from a gig the previous night in Europe, the reggaeupstarts stepped out of their taxi and directly onstage, borrowing ThirdWorld’s gear, and triumphantly raising their arms over their heads for makingit, a little late, for an abbreviated 15-minute set. In a five-song medley, they blended new originalswith a throwback toss to Tenor Saw’s “Ring the Alarm.” If for nothing else than the effort it tookfor the band to make the date, Kabaka Pyramid earned an ovation; one encouragedby the show’s emcee, Garth Trinidad, from sponsoring radio station KCRW, thatcarried over to acknowledge their crackerjack cabbie who shuttled them fromtarmac to venue.
At the top of the bill, Marley’s 90-minute run started ominouslywith a vivid video montage, then into the insightful and provocative “Nail PonCross,” from his excellent, and latest, album, Stony Hill. Marley stompedand swaggered, smiled and sauntered under a billowing Lion of Judah flag wavedover his head as he touted California’s policies toward marijuana before“Medication.” He was cool and positiveand dressed casually sharp in a white button-down and blue blazer. His dreads nearly touched the ground, as hisgravely intonations, rapid-fire reggaeton delivery, and lyrics of purpose andconscience zipped past like tracer rounds through the thickening Hollywood air.
Jr. delved into Tuff Gong’s catalog, as well, dropping hisfather’s “Is This Love” and Could You Be Loved” before an encore of his owntrademark hits. With sing-along helpfrom the capacity crowd, reaching high up into edges of the Bowl, Marley dippedback to his 2005 breakout for “Road to Zion,” and, on a finale to a ripplingand emotive performance, that record’s infectious title track, “Welcome toJamrock.” Displaying reggae’s richdiversity and longevity, this trio of island ambassadors brought yet anothernight of cultural and musical enlightenment to a summer Sunday night inSouthern California."
