Guanabanas Hosts 5th Annual Dirty River Reggae Fest

JUPITER, FL – September 27, 2017 – For five years now, Guanabanas Island Restaurant and Bar has been staging one of the area’s biggest reggae and roots music festivals. This year, the island vibe-friendly venue has truly outdone itself. Headlined by music powerhouse Third World, the 2017 edition of the Dirty River Reggae Fest will also feature Locos Por Juana, Spred the Dub, The Ellameno Beat, Sammy J, Oogee Wawa, Herbal Krew, Fireside Prophets, and Brett Staska. Kulcha Shok DJ Lance O will once again MC the festivities.

“Landing a headliner like reggae legends Third World was a huge score for the festival,” says Guanabanas’ Talent Buyer Matt Cahur. “This year’s lineup is truly our biggest and best, and is only fitting for a special anniversary that is our fifth.” Cahur also heads Roots Music, a Jupiter-based music management, production and promotions company with a 20-year track record; he’s also the lead sound engineer at Guanabanas.
 
Touring the world for more than four decades from their home base of Jamaica, Third World’s sound is a blend of soul, funk and disco. Probably best known for their hits “Now That We Found Love” (a remake of the O’Jays classic) and “Try Jah Love” (produced by the iconic Stevie Wonder), the band once opened for Bob Marley and the Wailers, charted top 10 and top 20 songs on various American and British pop, R&B and reggae charts, and released 20+ full-length major and independent label recordings. They are currently promoting a new Damian Marley-produced single called “Eyes Are Up on You”.
 
Founded in Miami in 2000, Grammy and Latin-Grammy nominated Locos Por Juana fuse Latin, Carribean and American rhythms into a unique blend of reggae, cumbia, hip-hop, rock and funk they call “island swing”. Their latest full-length release Caribe features a collaboration with Talib Kweli called “For the Ladies”, and has them touring the U.S. in support. They recently debuted at Guanabanas during a Noche Latina performance and were enthusiastically received by Guanabanas regulars.
 
Formed in 2007 and influenced equally by Marley, James Brown, The Clash, The Slackers and John Brown’s Body, South Florida’s Spred the Dub peddle their own brand of “Good Time Reggae” music through constant national touring, opening for The Skatalites, Eek-A-Mouse, Black Uhuru and Yellowman along the way. They have a pair of independent full-length releases to their credit, their self-titled debut and Coming Home Drunk, their latest.
 
The Ellameno Beat are a six-piece band from Jensen Beach who play progressive roots throughout their home state of Florida, and up and down the East Coast of the U.S. In their short history they have already supported luminaries such as Steel Pulse, Inner Circle and Matisyahu. Their debut recording Surface, issued in August of 2017, is led by the single “Muse”, and is already garnering positive press reviews and debut at the top of the Billboard reggae chart.
 
Australia native Sammy Johnson embraces his Maori and Polynesian roots and mixes together island reggae, soul and jazz with heartfelt lyrics. His sound is exhilarating and intoxicating, and strives to inspire change and positivity through music. His latest release Lion Roar has had him on the road touring the Midwest and West Coast extensively.
 
Long Island’s premiere alternative reggae / hip-hop rockers Oogee Wawa tap the same vein as Sublime, 311 and Slightly Stoopid. Founded in 2008, they have been playing throughout the U.S. and Caribbean non-stop since 2013, performing more than 100+ shows per year.

Herbal Krew has been around the local reggae scene for 20 years. Fronted by legend Clement Aubrey from Sweet Justice, the Krew are one of the hardest-working, authentic reggae acts from Palm Beach County, and will be bringing a full original set of music.
 
Fireside Prophets formed in Boca Raton in 2008. They are part chilled-out reggae and part slinky rock, combining classic elements of reggae with hip hop rhythms and the crunchy attitude of 90s grunge. They captured their “Dirty South Swamp Rock” sound successfully on their latest release, the independently-released “Summa Love” single out now.
 
Roots Shakedown front man and sometime solo artist Staska plays his own brand of sun-burnt folk rock, which combines warm acoustic tones with layers of ambient vocal harmony, subtle percussion, and a heavy beach culture influence. He released a solo EP effort called No Worries in 2015.
                                                                             
Event sponsors include Islamorada Beer Company, who will be running a tap takeover and staging a beer tent for the day, Papa’s Pilar Rum (providing a special rum bar with free samples), and Suerte Tequla, who are offering margarita specials.
 

ABOUT GUANABANAS
 
Guanabanas is an open air restaurant and bar with woven tiki huts and banyan trees towering overhead and hand-chiseled coquina stone pathways underfoot. The team maintains a laid-back, island atmosphere where everyone is welcome. The award-winning menu features a fusion of Mexican, fresh Florida seafood and traditional fare; a breakfast menu is available Saturdays and Sundays. Guanabanas offers a custom catering menu and signature cocktails. Executive Chef Vinny Trupia oversees the culinary operations and also manages a community garden at the neighborhood resource center El Sol.
 
The establishment hosts recurring “Give Back Thursdays” to help the needs of the local community organizations, partnering with willing companies to help drive donations and money where needed, as well as giving away stage space to allow charities to showcase their cause. Past beneficiaries include the Surfrider Foundation, Martin Memorial Hospital, Haiti Relief Effort, the Brave Maeve Foundation, Freedom Flight for WWII Vets by the Martin County Firefighters, Furry Friends, and many others.