For many music lovers, Black History Month begins with the Feb. 6 celebration of the birth of reggae icon Robert Nesta Marley.
Consistent to his annual fanfare is a 4 pm matinee fete slated at B.B. Kings in Times Square. The midtown restaurant/club has billed a showcase they believe will appease adults and children alike. They also guarantee that the early concert will be a sold-out event headlined by Cannibis Cup Band, the band that has helmed the commemoration since 1997.
“This afternoon’s family-friendly Bob Marley Birthday Bash performance will celebrate the life and music of Bob Marley with a performance by the CCB, featuring NYC’s hottest reggae artists.”
Since emerging in 1996, the CCB has been a staple in the underground New York reggae scene with sold-out performances at some of the city’s hottest venues.
“The group’s ability to play a wide variety of idioms, an inspired group of special guests, and its celebration of herbal life and music has earned CCB legions of inspired local fans, headline status …and gigs backing diverse artists, from Rita Marley to George Clinton.”
Vaughn Benjamin of the reggae band, Midnite offers an early fete on Feb. 5 to commemorate the birth of the legend he fashioned while growing up in the Virgin Islands.
To mark the 71st anniversary of the genre’s best ambassador, Benjamin will present Akae Beka Band at SOB’s, 204 Varick St. Show time is…midnight.
Concerts, readings, poetry sessions, theatrical presentations, film screenings and other cultural activities are scheduled throughout the boroughs, along with marathon radio tributes, television spotlights and festivals in Florida, California and Jamaica.
Marley died of cancer on May 11, 1981 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami, Florida.
