ROOTS ARTIST DRE ISLAND, ROCKS NEW YORK’S BOB MARLEY/IRE JAM CELEBRATION AT SOB’s!

Hundreds of reggae lovers and Bob Marley fans, some coming from as far as New Jersey, Connecticut, and upstate New York squeezed inside SOB’s in Manhattan for Irie Jam’s Bob Marley, 73rd birthday celebration which doubled as a Reggae Month event and the station’s inaugural 25th anniversary kick-off party.

From his opening salvo, Dre Island connected with fans delivering songs like Smile, Hideaway, They Didn’t Know Me, My Love, and Jah is Here For Me. He did a masterful rendition of Bob Marley’s Johnny Was before segueing into My City from his highly anticipated album titled The Project. His other tracks included the familiar Rastafari Way and the hit We Pray, which was well received.

Dre, a piano player, opted to be backed by guitarists Ted Morcaldi and Andy McIntyre to pay homage to the legacy of Bob Marley who was a talented guitarist. Backing vocalists included Raquel Stephenson, Keiko Smith and Zosia McGregor, daughter of Freddie McGregor.

Dre’s performance was well received and left a serious buzz inside the venue.

“Dre was a perfect choice for our 2018 Bob Marley celebration,” said Louie Grant Executive VP of Irie Jam Radio.

“We expect to see and hear a great more of this young man on the international scene going forward as he is indeed a special talent. All the acts paid homage to Bob and other forerunners, on whose shoulders they now stand. For that we are very grateful,” he continued.

Other performers included Pey Dalid and Arita.