After one-year hiatus, Reggae on the Mountain returned with a show at Topanga Community Center
By Benjamin Hanson
Special to The Malibu Times
Traffic was stopped deep in the mountains of Topanga. The confused look of drivers slowly turned into acceptance as the sounds of booming bass lines faded in while passing a giant painted Reggae on the Mountain sign on the corner of Cheney Drive and State Route 27.
After a one-year hiatus, the annual festival took place at the Topanga Community Center after the 2022 edition was held at Live Oak Camp in Santa Barbara and the 2019 festival was held at King Gillette Ranch.
Label 27’s 12th edition of Reggae on the Mountain was in full swing and infectious good vibes were spread throughout the crowd of a few thousand.
Label 27 Co-Owners Brooks Ellis and Amit Gilad said they were thrilled to celebrate this year’s independent roots reggae music festival.
“What’s so great about Los Angeles and Southern California is the incredible fusion of Latin music and reggae emerging from the area,” Ellis and Gilad said in a press release.
Reggae artists Steel Pulse, Don Carlos, Marlon Asher, Quinto Sol, and Empress Akua played the bigger Mountain Stage, while bands Kat Hall, Neighborhood Orchestra, Mestizo Beat, Irie Nature, and Jah Faith rounded out the lineup on the smaller Hilltop Stage.
Social Worker Rebekah Pauly lives in Topanga and attended with family traveling from Orange County. They saw Reggae on the Mountain as a way to remember her brother who passed away 13 years ago.
“Our brother was a huge reggae fan,” Pauly said. “His birthday is coming up and we decided to come here.”
General admission was $99 and the VIP package was $250. People who paid for the VIP experience got exclusive access to the front of the main stage, a cocktail lounge, private restrooms, and a gift bag.
Festival goers of all ages spent the day enjoying games, drinks, and the sounds of reggae music.
There were many vendors and food options to keep attendees occupied during breaks between sets.
People could buy clothes, halos, hats, jewelry, shirts, blankets, and so much more to commemorate the day.
99 High Tide, a Malibu weed dispensary, gave out lighters and sold marijuana to festival goers.
Forever Stoked Art Collective’s booth shared locally crafted artwork and displayed paintings, greeting cards, and prints for sale. Co-founder Charlie Clingman said Forever Stoked participated in the festival to meet people in Topanga, appreciate reggae music, and share his art.
Clingman sat by the booth armed with a paintbrush and painted his surfboard along to the music of the festival.
“I love decorating my surfboards and presenting them to the ocean so she can either break them or give me a good ride,” Clingman said.
Brothers and Deeply Vintage Jewelry co-owners Michael and Jeffrey Schaffner buy and sell unique and antique jewelry at festivals all over Southern California. Michael Schaffner said the weather on the mountain was nice and the attendees were friendly.
“People are very warm, engaging and it’s always a nice show here at the community center in Topanga Canyon,” Michael Schaffner said.
Pauly said Reggae on the Mountain was a great way to spend her Saturday afternoon.
“I really enjoy the diverse crowd and all the different ages of people here,” she said. “The vibe is really positive and mellow.”
Label 27 was founded in 2009 and produces music and art festivals in the Los Angeles area. It focuses on showcasing musicians, artists and thinkers.
