Reggae and Electronic music fused together on January 30th, when artists Damian “Jr Gong” Marley and Major Lazer turned Red Rocks into a dance party during Icelantic’s Winter on the Rocks 2015. Eager for the Reggae idol Damian Marley to perform, the audience started to flood in after the first artist, Holy Ghost!

     The unity of the crowd was apparent as music-lovers danced and sang along while reflecting the “Marley-Rasta” dream. Once the people of our world can stand peacefully side-by-side, “Mother Earth will know peace,” as the recording explained right before Marley dragged his floor length dreads onto stage.

     Although Skrillex was not a part of this year’s festival, Marley had no hesitance to begin his performance with “Make it Bun Dem,” pumping up every fan for the rest of his show. For the rest of the night Marley’s energy lingered through the stands even Major Lazer entered the stage.

     There were around ten thousand people in the amphitheatre, and they all became one when Damian Marley surprised his audience with a tribute to his father and Reggae legend, Bob Marley. As “Could You Be Loved” was playing, the connection that the audience had with Marley and each other radiated through Red Rocks: an enormous crowd dancing and singing freely to a song that is just as popular in the Reggae world now as it was when it was released 35 years ago.

     The passion Damian Marley displayed throughout his songs was what made this year’s festival successful. Encouraging the entire crowd to jump along with him and move with the music, the cold seemed to disappear and the night became a dance to remember. 

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Written by Ellen Gelman