Big Splif's 4:20 Reggae

Calendar Listing:

Saturday, October 20

24^th Annual Peter Tosh Birthday Celebration Concert featuring Tosh 1,

Sister I-Live, Nyabinghi Drummers and more

Doors: 7pm

Film: 8pm

Music: 9pm

$20 tickets ($17 for students)

All ages

Ashkenaz, Berkeley CA

1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley CA

510-525-5054, 917/834-0330

24^th ANNUAL PETER TOSH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FEATURING TOSH 1, SISTER I-LIVE, AND MORE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 AT THE ASHKENAZ IN BERKELEY

Out of Many One Productions is proud to present the 24^th annual Peter Tosh Birthday Celebration commemorating the late, great reggae legend, icon Winston Hubert McIntosh, aka ‘Peter Tosh’ on Saturday, October 20 at the Ashkenaz in Berkeley. Performers include Peter Tosh’s son, Tosh 1, Peter Tosh’s cousin Sister-I-Live, Nyabinghi drummers, plus special guests to be announced.

Tickets are $20 (student tickets are $17) and can be purchased in advance at the Ashkenaz. Doors are at 7pm; an original documentary about Peter Tosh including interviews, history and music is at 8pm,and the music starts at 9pm. This is an all ages venue.

In August of this year, the late reggae star Peter Tosh was appointed a member of the Order of Merit (OM), receiving the country's third highest national honor and joining Wailers band mate and reggae icon Bob Marley as a recipient.
Twenty-five years after his murder, Tosh, who had no national honor previously, headed a list of 119 Jamaicans national recognized for outstanding contributions to the country on JA Independence Day.

The concert will feature Tosh 1, aka Jawara McIntosh, the youngest son of the reggae icon, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1980. He moved to Boston in 1985 where he was raised by his mother. Tosh 1 has performed all over the world and he does especially well on the festival circuit.  This October / November, 2012 Tosh 1 is doing a Western US / Canada tour.

Tosh 1 is now set to release his highly anticipated album “Death to the Shitstem.” This album is slated to drop on October 19th, his father's birthday. The album features songs like “Get up Stand Up” his up-to-the time rendition of The Wailers classic,  “Babylon Burnin,” “Man Up”, just to name a few. This new album is a revolutionary embodiment of Tosh 1's signature hip-hop meets reggae brand of music, the best of both worlds!

In Boston, Tosh 1 was introduced to rap and hip-hop, the flow and flavor of LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Ice Cube and Run DMC. "That was when music was real," says Tosh 1, who started mixing the sounds of reggae with loops and samples of hip-hop in high school. Tosh has a love-hate relationship with the hip-hop genre, and believes many of its artists have gone astray, seduced by major record deals, fast cars and expensive clothes. "The same revolutionary spirit that once inspired me has been transformed into everything it once detested," says Tosh 1.

In 2000, Tosh 1 decided to record a couple of tracks in the studio, creating a hybrid sound that blended urban sounds, but still stayed true to the tenets of reggae and its messages of social change, activism and spirituality. "It was like second nature, like magic," says Tosh 1. "People just fell in love with it."

Tosh 1 is a revolutionary artist with an impetus to right wrongs. "I give people food for thought," explains Tosh 1. "It's about waking people up. I am going to expose the system for what it is. We have to be more conscious of our life here on earth and stop complaining."

Also appearing on the bill is Bay Area favorite dancehall queen, Sister I-Live. Born and raised in the Parish of Westmoreland Jamaica, West Indies, her singing career began in her local parish church choir and school choirs and youth clubs. This exposure inspired her to start writing her own songs. She and her friends would frequently go to the beach side with guitars and drums chanting music for hours.

From an early age she was interested in seeking a spiritual way of life. At fourteen-years-old, she began visiting and reasoning with local Rasta bredren and sistren and attending the Nyahingi groundations where Rastas would chant together with drums. In 1973, she began to grow her dreadlocks and further her commitment to Rastafari.

After moving to California in 1984 where she started singing as DJ, toasting and singing over the local sound systems, she then began singing on stage shows, backing up local reggae performers. In 1987, she began singing with a band called the Chosen Few, comprised of some of the toughest reggae musicians in the Bay Area.

Sister I- Live is a lively performer whose dancing infectiously moves her audiences. She is called a Dance-Hall Diva because of her compelling live performances. A cousin to the legendary Peter Tosh, Sister-I- Live has ability to pull the fire out of the audience with her every sound. Each song brings a healing message surely to touch the hearts of many. Her musical repertoire is varied with original cultural lyrics as well as, classic reggae cover tunes.

The Peter Tosh Birthday Celebration concert is slated to be a special treat for all those Peter Tosh fans that have been waiting for Peter's next release, and for the younger generations who never got to see Peter Tosh perform live in the flesh. Peter's youngest son, Tosh 1 has now taken the torch and moved ahead with youthful strength and vigor to carry on the work of his father.

For more information contact Out Of Many One Productions, 917-834-0330 or for tickets go to http://www.ashkenaz.com/. The box office is open every night when there is an event for presale tickets.