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REGGAE IN THE DESERT FEATURES TOOTS & THE MAYTALS JUNE 18TH AT CLARK COUNTY AMPHITHEATER

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Parent Category: Non Hotel Press Releases

Category: Clark County Press Releases

Las Vegas, NV - This year?s Grammy winner for Best Reggae Album, Toots and the Maytals, headline the 4th Annual Reggae in the Desert Festival on June 18 at the Clark County Amphitheater, 500 S Grand Central Pkwy, Las Vegas. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Other performers include Sister Carol; Tippa Irie, and The Toasters. The Festival offers food and beverage vendors and Caribbean craft sales. No food or drinks may be carried in and no pets are allowed. Tickets are $16 in advance, $20 at the gate and are available through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (702) 474-4000.

"The event keeps growing and getting better every year," says Lyon Davis, Clark County Special Events staff member. "Reggae music seems to unite all ages, all races and all music lovers."

Toots and the Maytals are one of the great reggae bands of all time, of the generation that boasted Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff. Frederick "Toots" Hibbert has written many classic reggae songs and is even credited with being the first to use the word "reggae" in a song title.

The band had a huge following in Jamaica and Great Britain in the sixties, interrupted for two years by Hibbert?s imprisonment for what he claimed later was a trumped-up charge of marijuana possession. From that experience came one of his best songs, "54-46 That?s My Number" which was a reference to his prison number. His bandmates waited for him, knowing they couldn?t duplicate his sound with anyone else.

After producing album after album, the Maytals broke up in 1981 and Hibbert began working with producers Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. He recorded an album of R & B covers, "Toots in Memphis" that garnered rave reviews. In 1990 Hibbert formed a new Maytals and began touring again.

The 2004 Grammy winning album, "True Love," features guests such as Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Shaggy, Willie Nelson and other powerhouses, singing with Toots on new versions of his greatest hits. The lineup gives testimony to the respect Hibbert inspires and his influence on many genres of music.

Sister Carol, replacing Don Carlos, is one of the rare female Reggae stars, who have paved the way for women in reggae, known for her powerful lyrics and dancehall-style rap songs. She was nominated for a Grammy for her 1996 album "Lyrically Potent," and has appeared on late night television and in movies. Raised in Kingston, Jamaica until the age of 14, she came to America and was a wife and mother with a teaching degree before starting her successful career in music. According to Billboard Magazine, "Sister Carol projects more vibrancy and power in the flex of an eyebrow than most performers do in an entire set." The Village Voice said, "In live performance, no other woman in dancehall can touch Sister Carol."

The Toasters, one of the founders of the third wave ska explosion, this influential ska band from New York, have been an important force in popularizing ska in the late eighties. Lead singer Rob Hingley is also the founder of the Moon Ska record label. While the band has evolved over the years, Hingley has kept the original energy intact. Their newest albums include 2002?s "Enemy of the State" and 2003?s "The Best of the Toasters."

Tippa Irie, from England's Saxon Sound International, has been at the forefront of the U.K. reggae dancehall scene for the past 25 years and helped launch the careers of artists such as Maxi Priest, Papa Levi and Smiley Culture. Tippa Irie was part of the new generation of British MC's who developed the 'Fast Talking' style chat, which today can be heard in modern day rappers like Busta Rhymes. Tippa toured extensively with his friend and long-time sparring partner, Pato Banton, throughout the Eighties including an appearance at Jamaica's Reggae Sunsplash.

Tippa Irie has produced fifteen albums to date and has a string of #1 hit songs to his credit including "Hello Darling", "Raggamuffin Girl" (featuring Peter Hunnigale), "Stress" (featuring Lloyd Brown), "Superwoman" (featuring Winsome), "Baby I've Been Missing You" (featuring Janet Lee Davis) and "Shouting for the Gunners"--a song originally recorded for the Arsenal Football Team which reached the Top 30 status on the British pop charts. Tippa's first album-'Is It Really Happening To Me' (1986), was followed by 'Two Sides of Tippa Irie' (1987). Soon thereafter 'JA To UK Clash' (1988) with Papa San was released for Fashion Records. Then came 'Original Raggamuffin' (1989) and 'New Decade' (1990), both for Island Records

Reggae in the Desert is sponsored by Hot 97.5FM, 97.1FM The Point, WB/Gold 33, Miller Lite and Clark County Parks & Community Services. For information call (702) 455-8200 or visit www.reggaeinthedesert.com