Marley Festival focusing on Exodus

     The Seventh Annual Dallas Bob Marley Festival will roll into town Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23-24.
     The theme for this year’s festival is Exodus, taken from Marley’s album of the same name.
vAccording to Gregory Stephens, author of On Racial Frontiers: The New Culture of Frederick Douglass, Ralph Ellison and Bob Marley, “This theme reflects Marley’s belief in an ‘Exdous’ towards the promise of a new way of life.”
     The national tour is focusing on the issues affecting young people and senior citizens in each city. In Dallas, donations of cash and food will benefit the music program at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the Endangered Species Media Project and the DFW Green Alliance.
     According to the tour founder Sirron Kyles, “I wanted to celebrate not only reggae and world beat music, but world peace, natural foods and the environment.”
     With the support of Bob Marley Music Inc., the Marley Family’s Foundation, the Annual Bob Marley Festival Tour is working to unite all these celebrations under one umbrella.
     This year’s performers include not only reggae bands but also dance troupes, jugglers and poetry readings. As in previous years, the tour will feature Caribbean, African and Third World arts and crafts along with food from these regions
     A core group of 25 acts perform in most cities, with some variations. This year’s tour salutes women and features many of the upcoming reggae and world beat female acts.
     Festival admission is $5 advanced, $10 the day of the show. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations.
     In the sprit of Bob Marley, fans can get into the event by donating $5 cash or $8 in nonperishable food between noon and 4 p.m.
     The festival will be held at the Annette Strauss Artists Square in the Arts District of Dallas (corner of Leonard and Flora Street, next to the Meyerson Symphony Center) noon-11 p.m. on Saturday and noon-10 p.m. Sunday.
     For more information, call 214-946-5354, 214-827-9070 or 214-348-9366. E-mail is bobmarleyfest@juno.com.