WAILING SOULS REUNITE AFTER 20 YEARS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, AT 7 PM

The 2007 KCRW World Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl continues with the Sixth Annual Reggae Night on Sunday, August 12 at 7:00 p.m. The night features performances by reggae legends Burning Spear, and prolific drum 'n' bass duo Sly & Robbie and the Taxi Gang with special guests Horace Andy and Cherine Anderson. The night will also see the much-anticipated reunion of the Wailing Souls after 20 long years. KCRW's Anne Litt hosts.

The hopeful sounds of reggae were born in Kingston, Jamaica, where Trenchtown yards, poverty and violence spawned heartfelt and prolific music made famous by global legends such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. The annual reggae night celebrates this music of hope and deep spirituality that comes with overcoming great adversity.

The night begins with the long-awaited reunion of the original four members of the Wailing Souls; Pipe, Bread, Buddy, and Garth, who bring their unique blend of ska and roots to the Hollywood Bowl. Next up are Sly & Robbie, best known for their inordinate success as producers for superstars ranging from Bob Dylan to No Doubt. But, Sly & Robbie are drum and bass masters in their own right and bring along a band of musical cohorts from their own TAXI label. They also feature the inimitable Horace Andy, last seen at the Hollywood Bowl as a touring member of Massive Attack, and R&B, soul, reggae and dancehall chanteuse Cherine Anderson.

Headlining the night is Burning Spear, aka Winston Rodney. Part preacher, part black historian, Burning Spear has illuminated the Rastafarian lifestyle in song for 37 years, bringing songs ripe with emotion and spirituality to countless ears throughout the world. All three performers are Grammy-nominated artists and together, these pioneers of roots will make for an unforgettable night of music under the stars.

Remaining World Festival concerts include:

• Macy Gray returns to the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, August 26, in support of Big, her first release in nearly four years. Zap Mama, whose acclaimed signature sound blends soul, gospel, pygmy song and Afro-cuban rhythms, also performs for their only scheduled appearance in Southern California. Making their debut and opening the show is Brazilian Girls, an all-male ensemble with the exception of multilingual (but not Brazilian) front woman Sabina Scuibba.

• Leading the dance world with their inspired mix of dub, techno, and classic house, the UK's Underworld promise an epic evening on Sunday, September 9, as they showcase their new record at the Hollywood Bowl. Joining Underworld for this evening of electronica heavyweights is Paul Oakenfold, one of the most important DJ artists in modern club culture, and Carmen Rizzo, a Grammy-nominated producer, composer, and remixer who adds world music influences to the DJ set.

In the 37 years between his chance meeting with Bob Marley on a country road in St. Ann's, Jamaica and the release of his latest album, Our Music, Winston Rodney, a.k.a. BURNING SPEAR, has seen reggae experience a lot of growth and change. Styles have come and gone, and Spear's unique brand of roots-oriented reggae has moved in and out of fashion. Through it all, with a singularity of purpose that is staggering, Burning Spear has released dozens of albums, toured the world many times over, and played before more audiences than anyone else in the history of the genre. Indeed, if Bob Marley was the first artist to bring reggae to the attention of international audiences, Burning Spear's relentless recording and touring have kept it there. From the beginning, his songs have implored listeners to fight oppression in all its forms, to work at improving the lives of themselves and their community and to be aware of the social impact of their action.

Along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, SLY & ROBBIE would be on the Mount Rushmore of reggae. They are Jamaica's most prolific drum and bass duo. Since they started working together in 1975, they have played on an estimated 50,000 tracks. They have backed and produced virtually everyone in Jamaican music, from Peter Tosh to Sean Paul. They created their TAXI label in 1979 to achieve more freedom to do their own thing. Today, TAXI represents one of the biggest Reggae and Dancehall catalogs in Jamaica, featuring artists like Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Chaka Demus & Pliers. Sly & Robbie have introduced the non-Reggae public to their heavy yet melodic sound by producing such international superstars as Bob Dylan, Grace Jones, Joe Cocker, No Doubt, the Fugees, Sinead O'Connor and countless others.

The legendary WAILING SOULS were there from Reggae's beginnings in the late 60s and early 70s. They grew up and sang in the same Trenchtown yards in Kingston, Jamaica as Bob Marley, Joe Higgs, and other reggae icons. The group's longevity has come from their adaptability to trends in music without the compromise of their vision. Wailing Souls has earned three Grammy Nominations throughout their distinguished career. 2007 sees all four members reuniting after 20 years; Winston 'Pipe' Matthews, Lloyd 'Bread' McDonald, George 'Buddy' Haye, and Rudolph 'Garth' Dennis. With the long-awaited reunion, Wailing Souls have already created a buzz in the music industry landing slots on some of the biggest reggae festivals in the world including Reggae On The River and The Hollywood Bowl's sixth annual reggae night.

HORACE ANDY was born Horace Hinds in Kingston, Jamaica. He was affectionately renamed Andy as a tribute to Bob Andy, by Studio One head, Coxsone Dodd, in respect of their mutual songwriting abilities. Horace has always been a favored vocalist among reggae fans, and his eerie, haunting style has been imitated endlessly. It was his work with Dodd that established his reputation. His career at Studio One began with the single "Something On My Mind", and eventually resulted in the classic "Skylarking", one of reggae's biggest hits. He has lent his vocal talents to the godfathers of trip-hop, Massive Attack, and last performed at The Hollywood Bowl in September, 2006 as a touring member of the band. Skylarking: The Best Of Horace Andy, was released in 1996 on Massive Attack's Melankolic label, and is a comprehensive compilation of the artist's work.

CHERINE ANDERSON was born in East Kingston, Jamaica. Her parents Derryck & Barbara Anderson kept Cherine and her two older sisters in Sunday school and any other church activity that would keep them off the unstable streets. It was in church that her musical talent was discovered. At the age of 12, she became a touring member of Ashe Performing Arts Ensemble, one of the Caribbean's most successful performance companies, and received professional training in dance, music and theatre. Her voice is a mixture of reggae, dancehall, soul and R&B and truly incorporates the grittiness of her past with the sweetness of the things to which she has been exposed. Among her many achievements, including having graduated with honors from the prestigious Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Music and a minor in Japanese Language and Literature, in 2003, Cherine combined her two loves, singing and acting, starring in the film One Love. Her voice lent two heartfelt songs to the film's soundtrack, and her acting talent earned her the MTV2/Urbanworld Film Festival Award for best actress in a feature film.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 39th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and close to one million admissions have been recorded. In February 2007, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the third year in a row at the 18th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards; the Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12 at 7 PM

HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

Reggae Night VI

In order of appearance:

Wailing Souls Reunion

Sly & Robbie and The Taxi Gang with Horace Andy and Cherine Anderson

Burning Spear

Anne Litt, host

Tickets ($7 - $95) are on sale now at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office (Tuesday - Saturday, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.), or by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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