Belleayre Music Festival
at Belleayre Mountain Ski Center
Belleayre Music Festival, Route 28, Highmount, NY
PO Box 198, Highmount, NY 12441 • (800) 942-6904, ext. 406
For immediate release Aug. 2009
Photos available at: http://belleayremusic.org/press/
Bob Marley’s Band The Original Wailers
Brings Popular Reggae Tunes to Belleayre
Highmount, NY — The Original Wailers, Bob Marley’s band that propelled the infectious beats of reggae music into the international prominence, will perform at the Belleayre Music Festival in Highmount on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m.
Bob Marley’s “Exodus,” was voted Time magazine’s “Best Album Of The 20th Century.” The Original Wailers will bring to life the timeless reggae tunes that swept through the United States and abroad during the 1970s and continue to influence today’s music scene.
Marley’s best known hits include “I Shot the Sheriff,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Exodus,” “Could You Be Loved,””Stir It Up,” “Jamming,” “Redemption Song,” “One Love” as well as the posthumous release “Buffalo Soldier.”
The compilation album, Legend, released in 1984, three years after his death, is reggae’s best-selling album, being 10 times Platinum (Diamond) in the U.S. and selling 20 million copies worldwide.
The Original Wailers is a reggae band made up of several members of the former backing band of the legendary Bob Marley. The leaders of the band, Al Anderson and Junior Marvin, are most known for their lead guitar and backing vocal work while playing with Bob Marley & The Wailers in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Original Wailers formed in September 2008 with the combined efforts of Al Anderson, Junior Marvin, and Earl Lindo, another former member of Bob Marley & The Wailers.
These musicians were an integral part of Bob Marley & the Wailers, a band that has sold millions of albums in the last four decades and propelled international success. Today, three legendary Wailers have reformed to create a new, tighter band, The Original Wailers. Keyboardist Earl “Way” Lindo, joined Bob in 1973, for the band’s Island Records debut, “Catch A Fire,” along with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.
American-born guitarist Al Anderson joined the band a year later and played on “No Woman No Cry.” He’s also played with Peter Tosh, James Brown, Traffic and Ben Harper. Junior Marvin, lead vocalist/guitarist for The Original Wailers often sang alongside Marley and as lead. Junior appeared in the ’70s and played on “Exodus,” which Time magazine voted “Best Album Of The 20th Century.” Junior also has played with Ike & Tina Turner, Steve Winwood, Stevie Wonder, Toots & the Maytals and recently with OAR.
Junior, Al and Way toured and recorded with Marley until his death. The band will perform all the songs of Bob Marley and the Wailers as they faithfully have since the meteoric rise of Bob Marley and the Wailers. This reformed configuration will breathe new life into each and every live show. The Original Wailers carry forward the true spirit of “One Love” that they helped create with Bob Marley as one of the most influential bands of all time.
Opening act will be Ila Mawana, which features pure roots reggae and dark driving dub. From the most mellow songs to intense afro driven beats, iLa Mawana brings undeniable energy to its reggae rhythm. Combining elements of roots reggae, afrobeat, dub, and funk, Ila has transcended beyond one single genre.
Supremes & ABBA:
The final two weekends of the season will feature Mary Wilson of the Supremes Saturday, Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. and ABBA— The Tour on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m.
Ticket for all shows in the 2009 summer concert season at the Belleayre Music Festival, are on sale via Ticketmaster. For additional information, please call 800 942-6904, ext. 1344 or visit: www.belleayremusic.org. The festival’s e-mail address is: festival@catskill.net.
For information on where to stay, dine, shop or to simply enjoy the great outdoors when you’re in town for the Belleayre Music Festival, please visit: www.catskillhighpeaks.com, www.ulstertourism.info or www.greatwesterncatskills.com. Belleayre Music Festival concerts are held on the grounds of Belleayre Mountain in Highmount.
Belleayre Mountain is located in the heart of New York’s Catskill Mountain region. The area is located just off Route 28 and is 37 miles west of Thruway Exit 19 at Kingston; 55 miles southeast of Oneonta on Route 28; 40 miles from the Route 17 exit at Roscoe; and 95 miles southwest of Albany and just two hours north of NYC.