Can you guess who’s headlining the February 17-19 Cali Vibes Fest event in Marina Green Park, Long Beach? It’s none other than their very own Snoop Dogg! That’s right! Tha Doggfather’s ready to crip walk his way to show everyone how we do it on the West Coast. But it’s not just him, Jack Johnson will also perform the night after — and there are many other amazing artists who will turn it up at the Cali Vibes Fest. Cali Vibes Fest promotes sustainability. And as much as we don’t want to appropriate that kind of lifestyle, it’s usually associated with the whole hippie and Rasta culture. You know what else is “flower power”-like? Reggae! So, why are Californians so into this lifestyle? Read on to find out.
The Heart of the American Hippie Movement
It’s difficult to associate, appropriate, label, or identify who’s who and what they stood (and stand for). But many say that Haight Ashbury — a district in San Francisco — was the birthplace of the hippie culture. This was back when “The Flower Children” wanted peace and love to prevail instead of war — for obvious reasons, this sentiment wasn’t exclusive to the Bay Area hippies; most Americans who were alive during the Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Cold War wanted the country out of these problems.
California’s Reggae Culture Today
Hippies have their own sub-“identities.” Some value sustainability more than anything else, some prefer to be vocal about avoiding wars, while other hippies are simply just surfer dudes we always see when we visit the Cali shores — you may even find pothead and magic mushroom people from time to time! In short, tie-dyed shirts, joints, or dreadlocks aren’t enough to label who’s a hippie and who’s not. What’s certain, however, is that Californians are obsessed with the music genre reggae! So much so, that there’s even a subgenre called “Cali Reggae” or the “Pacific Dub.” But just like any genre, the sound of these types of music eventually evolved — we can now hear ska, hip hop, and rock influences.
Let’s Get Ready for Cali Vibes Fest!
This February 17 to 19, Cali Vibes Festival will take place in Marina Green Park in Long Beach — with Snoop Dogg headlining the Saturday event and Jack Johnson on Sunday. Other artists who will perform are: