Makeda Dread is the founder of
Reggae Makossa 91X in San Diego, a reggae radio show, now celebrating
20 years of spreading the positive messages of love, world peace,
and pursuit of equal rights. In addition to having the longest
running reggae radio show in California, Makeda Dread is a veteran
and a celebrity in the reggae industry. She has been promoting
major reggae concerts and international recording artists such
as Pato Banton, Big Mountain, Don Carlos, Midnite, The Marley
Brothers, Barrington Levy and many others for years. Founding
the first Bob Marley Birthday Celebration in 1981, she has forever
set her place in reggae history.
Bob
Marley Day has been annual event in San Diego for almost a quarter
century and now Bob Marley Day has spread to Los Angeles, San
Francisco and beyond. The San Diego Bob Marley Birthday Celebration
always features the biggest and brightest stars from Jamaica,
Europe, and Africa. Steel Pulse, Third World, Bunny Wailer, Peter
Tosh, Black Uhuru, Lucky Dube, Alpha Blondy, Yellowman, and Shaggy
and just a some of the artists who have perfomed for Makeda’s
tribute to Brother Bob Marley. Yes that’s right Bob Marley
and Makeda Dread were old friends and they worked and produced
together.
Taking the message in the music
further Makeda Dread also has an annual Peter Tosh Birthday Celebration
every October. In 2001 the featured artists were Don Carlos, Sister
Carol, and Jr. Jazz. The list is too long to mention, but Makeda
has worked with just about everybody in the reggae business at
one time or another.
For many, many, years Makeda Dread
and the Reggae Makossa crew were playing clubs, boat cruises,
and festivals getting bigger and better every year. You could
say she was there from the early days of ska and rock steady.
A seasoned DJ she knows how to nice-up the dance, keeping the
people moving and jammin’.
