TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT-WWW.TICKETWEB.CA-in Sooke at Salts, in Victoria at Lyles Place, in Duncan at Ahead of the Tymes, in Nanaimo at Lucid, in Courtenay at Ahead of the Tymes. We have added FREE TENT CAMPING and serviced RV sites for $25 a night on a first come first served basis.
FORWARD FESTIVAL 2008- Vancouver Island's Dub, Reggae, World and Electronic Music Festival
Whoa! The lineup this year has shaped up to be a reggae and dub lovers dream.
In our continuing effort to feature women on the bill we're excited to be presenting SISTER CAROL. She has had a prolific music career for the past 20 years, that has included over 8 albums , a Grammy nomination, several world tours, and network television appearances.
Jamaican Dubmaster SCIENTIST began his career in 1978 as an engineer at King Tubby's studio and quickly gained a reputation with his unique mixing style. Scientist soon became Jamaica's top recording engineer and worked with everyone imaginable including Dennis Brown, Barrington Levy, Freddie McGregor, Dean Frasier, Linval Thompson, Augustus Pablo, The Heptones and many more. This led to a surge of albums mixed by Scientist from various sources throughout the 1980s, and to date his own solo output exceeds 25 LPs, while he has mixed over 500. Dubheads will be thrilled to know Scientist will be doing live dub mixing at the Forward Fest.
The legendary musician RAS MICHAEL is known throughout the world as a reggae vocalist and Nyabinghi "burra" drum specialist whose style is roots, rock reggae. In the early 60's, Ras Michael formed the Sons of Negus, a rastafarian group of drummers and singers and founded his Zion Disc label, which continues to release most of his inventive and subtle albums to this day. Ras Michael was also the first rastafarian to have a reggae radio program in Jamaica ("The Lion of Judah Radio" program first aired in 1967). In those times Ras Michael along with Count Ossie were the main nyabinghi drummers to bring the sound of Africa and the nyabinghi drum to the recording studio and blend it with reggae and jazz. There is no artist alive today who has more continuously been the foremost exponent of Rasta tradition worldwide.
As interest in classic roots music continues to grow,EARL ZERO's weighty contribution to the scene is becoming more and more apparent. His singles from the era are highly sought after by collectors and several versions from those singles have been included on some of Blood & Fire's popular dub titles. He is famous for having written the classic None Shall Escape The Judgement. He also cut numerous underground roots gems for Bertram Brown’s Freedom Sounds. His album, the resplendent Visions of Love (Epiphany), was reissued on CD, some 18 years after its initial release in 1979 and is now widely available for all to hear the real Greenwich Town experience.
Hailing from New York City, DUB GABRIEL has become one of the top DJ/Producers in America that combines music from Africa, Middle East, India, Jamaica, Eastern Europe and South America in to a blend all of his own.
His world traveling does not end with his music alone, He has also traveled the world spreading his music to all corners of the globe. Performing in such places as the United Nations and Lincoln Center to private parties for Britney Spears, and Super Model Alek Wek.He has released two critically acclaimed solo records and has recorded with the likes of Bill Laswell, Last Poets, Musafir and Dr. Israel.
We're also glad to be presenting another caribbean woman with a conscious message. NELLY StHARRE - Singer Songwriter, Entertainer and Musicologist, is a social commentator of exceptional relevance, especially in these crucial times. Born in Dominica(Waitukubuli), she has performed at Dominica's World Creole Music Festival, the St Lucia Jazz Festival, in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Grenada, Miami, London, Trinidad and and the "Reggae Sumfest" in Jamaica.
BIG BASS THEORY is heavy dub sounds with elements of reggae, dancehall, electronica, and drum & bass. This music will make you dance. They have amazed crowds at large festivals such as Vancouver Folkfest, Diversity, Under the Volcano, and Shambala.
DUBTET play global dub with live instruments, live looping, and live dubbing. Unique and original, dUbTeT is a hybrid of acoustic and electronic, reggae and samba, dance and meditation. A dUbTeT show is a sound system experience, inspired by Jamaican sound system culture.
MADLY IN DUB are a live dub band from Seattle. Live instrumentation and samples combine to create a great dub experience.
DUBIN HOOD comes out of his shadowy secret lair in the future from the far reaches of the mysterious Dubwood Forest to feed the people with big slices of dub bread and give them their proper dose of bass meds with live PA multi-instrumental set. Strictly Dubwise.
BIONIC LOVE SOUNDSYSTEM delivers dubwise breakbeats, global fusion, dancehall, dubstep & mashup madness.Adrian Blackhurst uses the almighty laptop and plays bass, guitar, synths, melodica, & various percussion.He is one-fourth of the Beats Without Borders collective, a Vancouver crew making global dance parties since 2004.
SIDE STREET RENY produce an organic blend of musical elements, sewing 100 plus years of American music into a rich tapestry of eclectic yet somehow familiar sounds all their own... Like everything, and nothing you've ever heard, all at once.
THE SEA MONKEYS are a power trio that blends a mix of surf, reggae and rockin' tunes into a great set of good time dancing music.
PRINCE PAUPER is a multi-instrumentalist producer who pays respect to the roots while forging a path to the future of dub. As a founding member of the bands Dub Central (Canada) and Dadawah (Canada) he has performed at numerous festivals and clubs, sharing the stage with many of reggaes greatest acts over last 20 years. He has recorded and remixed tracks with roots legend Yabby You and many other wonderful people.
Our website www.forwardfest.com has more info and details. Visit www.ticketweb.ca and search Forward Festival for online sales. Please check back here and at forwardfest.com for updates.
If you have any good pictures from last years Forward Festival please submit them to [email protected] so we can post them on our site. Thanks.
Peace. Forward
