by  Theo Chambers

The birthplace and burial site of the Great Peter Tosh came alive with thousands of local, regional and international visitors.  The place was jam-packed. The theme throughout the tribute was “Equal Rights and Justice,” an anthem for Peter Tosh during his lifetime.

Cars were parked as far as your eyes could see.  The police were out in numbers but their job was easy due to the One Love atmosphere that was evident both inside and outside of the event.

There is no doubt in this writer’s mind that music, especially Reggae Music, is a melting pot for people from all walks of life.

The tribute to the great Peter Tosh came in the form of poetry, chanting, and sweet lyrics from various performers such as Mackie Conscious, Mutabaruka, Ras Takura, Prince Tiba (Nyabinghi) and others.

You must excuse me for what I am about to say, wow!  Peter’s tribute was a gastronomic delight. There was food galore.

I heard Andrea Williams and Muta describe the food on IRIE FM, so my interest was already piqued before arriving. The best tasting cuisine my wife and I selected was from Colloden Heart Academy team.   The Menu read:  Rice & Gungo, Baked Chicken, Escoveiched Fish, Veggie Stew peas, Curried Veggie Chunks & Beans, Saute Veggies and Steamed Calalloo.  Since we are vegetarian, we chose a vegan plate and enjoyed it, especially the curried veggie chunks.

The event took an exciting turn when we were in the company of two of the greatest music legends in Jamaica, Barry G, the Boogyman and Mutabaruka.  The history they shared and the great love they showed for each other was the pinnacle of the day.

When I read about racism around the world and the Caribbean, I always make one statement.  “These people have never spent time in a true reggae music environment and participated in the love that is shared among such multi-racial audience.  If they did, their body was present at the event but their soul was somewhere else.  They never engolfed themselves in the universal and spiritual love that permeates reggae events.”

We left around 4:30 p.m. and it seems like the real crowd was just arriving.  People were walking towards the main entrance from all directions.  This is one of Reggae annual events that when you reach at the door, there is no one collecting an entrance fee, it’s free.  See you  there next year…