Ziggy Marley with Quinto Sol
Dec. 17
Club Nokia

It is safe to assume that Ziggy Marley is in town when there is a guy with dreads to his knees wearing a large green dashiki standing in line in Starbucks. And when his wife and kids run in all wearing dreads in a tie-dye of red, yellow and green, it is safe to assume that the concert is a family event.

Ziggy Marley performed at Club Nokia in Los Angeles to promote his newest Grammy-nominated album “Wild and Free” on Saturday night. Walking around the venue, it was easy to try to pick out who was attending the concert by seeing the many dreads and collage of red, yellow and green.

The night began on the L.A. Live seasonal ice-skating rink with a promotion of a book drive for Ziggy Marley’s charity U.R.G.E., which is aimed at providing education to children in underprivileged areas in countries such as Jamaica and Ethiopia. There was a book collection booth open outside the venue to anyone to make a donation.

Local band Quinto Sol, a Chicano reggae band with members from Compton and East Los Angeles, opened the show. It performed a set of reggae beats with an added salsa rhythm and Spanish lyrics. Much of the audience consisted of people ranging from their mid-20s to mid-50s, who looked as though they enjoyed salsa dancing to the upbeat and energetic music.

Once Ziggy Marley took the stage, the audience cheered wildly. As he played his hit “Personal Revolution,” he swayed to his music, his long knee-length dreads swaying behind him. Some people in the audience mirrored his sway, like the family man with the dreads and dashiki. With an eclectic selection of musicians playing instruments ranging from different African drums to saxophones to electronic keyboards, his performance was enthusiastic and inspiring.

The crowd danced together to many of the popular songs off of the “Wild and Free” album, like “Welcome to the World,” “Wild and Free” and “Reggae in My Head.” With the moody lighting and the enthusiasm of the crowd, it was easy to get lost in the buoyant reggae harmony and sway with a smile.

Ziggy Marley’s performance was energetic and spiritually satisfying, presenting both a good show and an important message of personal self-reflection and love.