NEW YORK – Reggae Queen Marcia Griffiths and legendary reggae/gospel singer Judy Mowatt, two thirds of the world-famous I-Threes, reggae’s most influential female singing group that provided backing vocals for Bob Marley in the 70’s will reunite for one performance only at the inaugural Westchester Reggae Festival, slated to take place on Labor Day Saturday, August 31 at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.
“I was inspired to do the inaugural festival with Marcia and Judy because of all I have heard and read about their historic performance at Marley’s last concert in 1980 at Madison Square Garden” said New York-based promoter Andrea Bullens of Bullizi Marketing.
“These two ladies are reggae legends who are revered around the world. They have entertained reggae fans globally for more than four decades. And to think they performed with Marley at the world-famous Madison Square Gardens – which is just a few miles away from our Port Chester venue. This concert is a way for us to reconnect the past with the present” Bullens shared.
Organizers of the Westchester Reggae Festival have big dreams. They are seeking to establish a series of musical events in and around Westchester county to attract and entertain the potpourri of Caribbean and international residence and attract neighboring communities in Rockland, Dutchess, Southern Connecticut and Northern New Jersey to its rich and diverse cultural offerings.
Marcia Griffith
The Reggae Queen, who continues to break new ground with her new smash single ‘What Kind of World’ from her album Timeless, garnered international notoriety with ‘Electric Boogie’, which was originally released by Bunny Wailer in 1976. Her 1989 remixed gave birth to the ‘Electric Slide’ line dance which became an international dance craze. The song reached number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Griffiths’ most successful single and one the biggest-selling songs by a female reggae artist.
Judy Mowatt
Mowatt has also secured her own place in history as the first female singer nominated for a Grammy Award in the reggae category for her ‘Working Wonders’ album in 1985. Her ‘Black Woman’ album which was released in 1980 is a classic that is considered one of the best reggae albums by a female artiste. She has also recorded hit singles ‘Many Are Called,’ ‘Black Woman’ and ‘I Shall Sing.’ In 1999 she received the Order of Distinction from the Jamaican government for her contribution to Jamaica’s music industry. Griffiths received a similar award in 2014.
Ken Boothe on stage too
Also booked to perform is ‘Mr Rocksteady’ Ken Boothe.’ The veteran singer/songwriter garnered international notoriety, with hit songs ‘Silver Words,’ ‘Every Thing I Own,’ ‘Artibella,’ ‘When I Fall In Love’ and ‘Movin Away.’ He gained further acclaim when he teamed with platinum-selling reggae superstar Shaggy on a remake of ‘The Train Is Coming’ that was featured on the soundtrack of the movie ‘The Money Train’ starring actor Wesley Snipes. Ken’s musical journey, that spans over half a century, is chronicled in his autobiography titled ‘My Iconic Musical Journey,’ which was recently released by Pageturner Publishing House and is available on all digital media platforms.
