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Interview with Amit Gilad, Producer of Reggae on the Mountain. Get Your Tickets Now!
Amit, thank you for taking some time to chat, we are all looking forward to the 6th annual Reggae on the Mountain! Can you give us a little history of how this event got started?
Much love Dave, thanks for having me, the Journey all begins with music. As youths my partner Brooks Ellis and I would throw big backyard concerts for our band and soon enough, putting together parties became our game. In 2009, we started getting involved with our local non-profit community center, producing our own stage at their annual festival (Topanga Days.) With the momentum from this stage, we proposed a new fundraiser/ festival for the Topanga Community Club, Reggae on the Mountain. They took a chance on us putting up the small investment to get things rolling and the rest is history.
We come from humble beginnings, two teenagers pulling together a festival and learning as we went, but here we are six years later! It's been an amazing experience watching this festival grow from the roots into the massive celebration of music and culture it has become.
It seems there is a real connection between ROTM and the surrounding community. What makes it such a strong connection?
Tickets are available now @ www.ReggaeOntheMountain.org
I'm really glad you mentioned this. What it boils down to is that Topanga Cyn is a real community, so any festival in this canyon truly belongs to the people. Reggae On the Mountain first and foremost is a fundraiser for the Topanga Community Club, a unique Non-Profit community center that has been supporting music, art and athletic programs as well as musical gatherings in Topanga for the last 60 years. The TCC is the heart of the community here and has played a huge part in forging Topanga's musical identity over the years. We are doing our best to continue this legacy and share the beautiful vibes of Topanga Cyn with the rest of So-Cal.
Also, myself and my partner both grew up here in Topanga, getting involved in grassroots event organizing at a very young age. The festival staff are primarily local community members that we have grown up with, so this fosters a true family vibe. People can tell that Reggae On The Mountain is a real homegrown music festival.
Who have been some of your favorite performances over the years? Or most memorable experiences?
Wow, there have been so many epic performances over the years. As any roots reggae fan knows, the level of musicianship that comes with Jamaican bands is extraordinary. Julian Marley and Black Uhuru were absolutely on fire last year, keeping the energy in the crowd peaking. In the past Don Carlos, Rootz Underground and the Wailing Souls have been incredible. Also Pato Banton is the godfather of our festival, so every time he blesses our stage it feels like a big reggae family reunion!
Why did you decide to expand this year's ROTM to a two day event?
We had an agreement with our sponsors (the TCC) that when we sold out one day, we would expand to another day. Last year at the 5th annual ROTM we finally did it, packing out the venue to capacity. It's such a blessing that we have grown to the point where we can expand and accommodate even more festival goers. This two day event is a new challenge for our team and we are looking forward to creating something bigger and better than ever before!
What are you most looking forward to about this year's show?
What are you most looking forward to about this year's show?
Hmmmm... Something really special about this upcoming show is that for the first time in the USA, Italian reggae monster Alboroise will be sharing the stage with Ky-Mani Marley. The two have released a number of singles together, but have only performed together in Europe in the past. It will be amazing to see these two powerful artists collaborate live! I am also a huge Easy-Star All Stars fan and I'm looking forward to hearing tracks from Dub Side Of The Moon and Radiodread.
Another thing that I'm very exited for is the addition of our second stage which showcases local LA talent. It's great that we can involve more of the LA reggae community this year and further the family vibe. Also it goes without saying, I always look forward to that bomb Jamaican yard food!
Thank you for your support! One love!
Tickets are available now @ www.ReggaeOntheMountain.org
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