WHEN YOU ASK ORGANIZER DAN SHEEHAN WHAT SETS THE CALIFORNIA ROOTS MUSIC AND ART FESTIVAL APART, he talks about how attendees can catch every single set (there are no overlapping performances) and about the festival’s commitment to sustainability before settling on a simpler, if multidimensional answer – “the vibe.” Various images come to mind: of colorful clothing and art; of a large crowd swaying to a thumping, island-inspired beat. But what, exactly, is the vibe? And how does it define this long-running festival?
CALI ROOTS, AS IT IS KNOWN COLLOQUIALLY, STARTED AS A ONE-DAY, LOCAL MUSIC EVENT IN 2010; now it’s the biggest reggae festival in the U.S. Since then, a whole new generation of California reggae bands blew up, and now, as the 11th annual festival approaches (the 2020 and 2021 editions were canceled) Cali Roots is a good mix of both the coastal California vibe and the sounds of the Caribbean.
Angel Raygoza, 31, has been “lucky enough to see some of this growth,” he says. A Bakersfield resident, he heard good things about Cali Roots even before he decided to go in 2013.
“I loved the lineup,” he says of his initial decision to buy a ticket. He was already a reggae fan – enjoying music by Slightly Stoopid from San Diego and Bob Marley, naturally. But what he got out of the experience turned out to be about much more than the musical acts. “It was the first time I camped out at a festival and experienced that type of community,” Raygoza says. There were people from Orange County, but also people from Colorado and other states. “All types of people,” he says. “I’ve seen everyone from 1-year-olds, ears protected, to grandmas and grandpas. Most people are in their 20s and 30s, but it’s not confined to this age group.”
Since then, Raygoza has made it a yearly tradition to hit Cali Roots with a small group of Bakersfield friends. He even met his best friend, Heather Bryan, because of Cali Roots. She was looking for a ride to the 2017 festival, her first. She found one.
NO ONE KNOWS MORE ABOUT CALI ROOTS than Sheehan, who took over in the third year of the festival and has been running it since then.
“Two years is a lot of time,” he comments, on the forced hiatus the festival experienced due to Covid. He has been sitting on the current lineup for two years, trying to keep everything in line, “starting and stopping, starting and stopping,” which is “mentally taxing,” he says. All he wishes for is the best and the safest experience he can offer to participants. This year there will be a Covid testing station and a “clear bags” policy to maximize visitor safety, both due to reducing touch points (Covid) and the reality of needing to avoid weapons.
But when the fans show up on festival weekend, all the starting and stopping and waiting will fade away. “This year will not be different from previous years,” Sheehan says, promising the same “organic feeling people get excited about.”
Sheehan’s love for reggae is lifelong, though he enjoys some country and Americana these days too. He grew up in Hawaii and the first band he mentions is Burning Spear, then “Bob,” obviously, referring to the reggae pioneer Bob Marley.
“We were the only ones in the nation who were doing something like that,” he says about Cali Roots’ early days. Now there are few similar festivals across the county, but they don’t attract 11,000 people like Cali Roots does.
It’s hard to put a label on “the vibe,” though there are some components – place, sound, community – that help describe it. Reggae is the heartbeat, and a visual art component has been there from the beginning as well – as have other musical genres including rock, hip-hop and more.
“We steer clear of politics,” Sheehan says when asked about revolutionary content characteristic of reggae music. At the same time, the musicians and bands bring with them all kinds of messages, political and otherwise.
“We have a distinct vibe,” Sheehan says about the event. “Jamaica, Miami – they have their own vibe, but this is very Cali, a new style of reggae, not urban but played near the ocean.”
The place is important too, certainly to fans like Raygoza. Monterey County Fairgrounds is the place where Jimmy Hendrix gave his most iconic performance at Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. It’s hard not to think about it when you walk around the fairgrounds, Raygoza says.
Plus, the relatively contained size of the festival grounds contributes to the feeling of community Raygoza so values. “It’s a small space so inevitably you bump into the same people,” he says. “There is a whole community online of people who met there, so I go there not only with my friends but to see friends. It’s a family reunion.”
Finally, for Raygoza (and a couple of lucky Bakersfield reggae fans he is taking with him – they will drive together and camp at Laguna Seca) a weekend in Monterey sounds like a promise of a glass of ice-cold water, or ice-cold beer, or whatever you chose for a refreshment. His crew appreciates the Monterey Peninsula for being a cool getaway, and Cali Roots for being a mellow space to cool off – physically and mentally.
There’s more than music on tap at Cali Roots.
CALI ROOTS, AND ITS SIGNATURE VIBE, is about more than just the music. Each year, organizers bring in a host of artists and vendors from all over – and a few local names, too. So if you find yourself in need of a break from the bands, are looking to discover something new or find a souvenir to take home, all that is on offer.
First, to start your music and art-filled day off right, the festival hosts yoga and sound healing experiences from 10-10:30am at the pop-up stage. Sound healing promises to “rejuvenate your nervous system” on Thursday and Saturday mornings, and yoga happens Friday and Sunday.
Local artists featured this year include muralist Arsenio Baca and screenprinter Chris Powers. Both are part of The Shop, a Monterey-based artist collective and mercantile space. Dirty Girl Plant Co. and Jessica Ansberry of Progress Not Perfection, a group that hosts creativity-fueling “paint parties” for artists and non-artists alike, will also be part of the festival.
Meanwhile, on the retail front, a handful of local names pop out among the many reggae and reggae-culture centered apparel, jewelry and art makers from around the state and across the country. These include hand-poured candles from Johnny Wicks, hand-crafted and nature-inspired jewelry by Leah Mark Designs and original artwork (plus some apparel) by Salinas-based Marple Art.
Last but certainly not least: Where to turn when you’re hungry (or thirsty)? Among the locals on this year’s food vendors list are Mikey Baroni and his pedal-powered cafe NitroCycle, offering a jolt of caffeine or cool, nitrogen smooth juice. Farmers market favorite Central Coastan Pizza will be slinging dough, and Casas De Humo Barbecue is on hand too for when nothing but ’cue will do.
CALIFORNIA ROOTS MUSIC AND ART FESTIVAL happens Thursday-Sunday, May 26-29. Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. $141/general admission Thursday; $177/Friday-Sunday. Four-day passes sold out. californiarootsfestival.com.