Erykah Badu performed songs from her upcoming album at the UCLA Reggae/Jazz Festival. (Photo by Leiloni De Gruy)
Story Created:
May 28, 2009 at 12:08 PM PST
Story Updated:
May 28, 2009 at 1:26 PM PST
However hot the temperature and no matter how uncomfortable sitting on a lawn with little or no cushion may have been, more than 1,000 people gathered on an athletic field at UCLA over the Memorial Day weekend for the annual Jazz/Reggae Festival.
Crowds began arriving on Jam Day before noon to steal a seat up front. And they did so by laying out blankets and mats, a tradition that has become synonymous with event goers as is taking a stroll to the multitudes of international food stands — mostly Caribbean — and clothing booths.
They were anticipating Erykah Badu, whose newest album “New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)” is slated to be released this winter, and the legendary hip-hop group De La Soul, whose mixtape “Are You In?: Nike + Original Run” was released last month.
But first they were serenaded by R&B singer Mateo, who may have driven the temperature up with his good looks and soulful tone. In a 30-minute set, he took the crowd from highs to lows, singing his upbeat track “Underneath the Sky” before giving his own rendition of Jamie Foxx’s “Blame it on the Alcohol,” which he slowed down dramatically.
People Under the Stairs, an underground hip-hop group reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde, took over where Mateo left off; or should I say, where he began. The group took a no-nonsense approach to the stage, jumping around a bit wildly and getting more hyped while spitting rhyme after rhyme. And if they didn’t see the crowd moving enough or as they wanted, they had a few choice words for them.
But it was what makes hip-hop. It was brash, unapologetic and in your face. The setup was perfect because their icons De La Soul would hit the stage soon after.
It was approximately 5:30 p.m. when they made their debut and the crowds were nothing less than amped. The hundreds of people who once stood by their blankets as they danced to the previous groups had now left most of their belongings behind — with good faith — in hopes of getting a bird’s eye view of the group that first began moving their feet in the late 80s.
They fast-forwarded a bit to their 2000 hit CD, “Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump,” with “Ooh” before taking audiences back to their first album, “3 Feet High and Rising,” with “Me, Myself and I.”
And there was no need to retreat to those previous safe-havens because Erykah Badu was next. Donning a hooded Public Enemy sweatshirt, skin-tight patent leather pants, a top hat and gaudy jewelry, Badu may not have been pleasing to the fashion eye but her voice was definitely pleasing to the ears.
The audience enjoyed old favorites such as “On & On” and “Otherside of the Game” from her debut album “Baduizm,” as well as “Cleva” from the 2000 release of “Mama’s Gun.”
The overall atmosphere of Jam Day was relaxed in comparison to Reggae Day. One could literally feel the earth below their feet tremble as hundreds of people jumped up and down, waving their native flags, shirts and towels. It was a beautiful culmination of races, of all complexions.
People standing afar may have suffered from a somewhat fogged view of artists like Peetah and Mojo from Morgan Heritage, Machel Montano, Assassin and Mavodo because of the copious amount of marijuana smoke in the air. But it failed to dampen anyone’s mood.
Would anything else be expected?
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