Reggae Bands Unite for Bob Marley Birthday Bash

Rochelle Bradshaw & Hypnotion

February is reggae month, and to celebrate the king of reggae, Bob Marley himself, the reggae music community will be culminating the good vibes at George’s Majestic Lounge on Sunday, Feb. 8.

For the “Bob Marley Birthday Bash,” the lineup will include Rochelle Bradshaw and Hypnotion with special guest Duane Stephenson from Kingston, Jamaica. Stephenson is currently a popular success in Jamaica, and having the opportunity to have him play in Fayetteville with the band has got Bradshaw excited.

“He’s an amazing singer, number one,” Bradshaw said. “For a time he was the frontman for The Wailers — Bob Marley’s original band — so he’s very familiar with Bob Marley’s music. It just turned out that he’s going to be in Little Rock Saturday night, so it’s perfect. He’s coming all the way from Jamaica to Arkansas, so I had to bring him to Fayetteville of course. He’s never been here before.”

Rochelle Bradshaw and Hypnotion are a Fayetteville reggae fusion band who incorporate jazz and R&B among other genres. The band is headed by Bradshaw, a Jamaican native, whose musical career spans over 17 years and includes singing on a Grammy-winning album, and touring the world with musical legends like The Original Wailers, Garnett Silk, Stephen Marley, Luciano, Joseph Israel and many more.

During the show, Hypnotion will also feature guest local favorites Jeff Kearney from 1 oz. Jig and Ciavash Zaifi from The Irie Lions. The show will start at 7 p.m. Sunday evening. DJ Hod-I will be opening the show with an all-vinyl set at 7 p.m. and the band will start at 8 p.m. The show is expected to go on until about 10:30 p.m. Tickets will be $10 in advance online at stubs.net or $15 at the door.

With a wealth of both local and international talent featured on the bill, Bradshaw said the experience will be something any age could enjoy.

“I’m excited because it’s going to be about unity, and that’s what Bob Marley stands for, one love,” Bradshaw said. “We wanted to include others in the community and Duane. They’ll see the unity, the love and they’ll feel it.”

Bradshaw’s own style of soulful reggae is not only about making music that makes you feel good, but also about relaying the positive message the music brings.

“Just like every other genre of music, it splits, as you have a more pop-y side of it or a hardcore side of that genre,” Bradshaw said. “It’s the same with reggae. Most people know reggae as conscious music. You have the dancehall style that’s more of a party with rap and hip hop style, too. What’s important to me is to always keep that good positive message side of it. It’s fun to mix it up and make it pop-y and feel good and everything, but you can’t dismiss the message.”