Amit Gilad feels authentic from the moment we meet. Clad in a Fire Station 69 shirt, and wearing a big smile, this man is an ambassador of feel good music if ever I’ve seen one. He and his business partner, Brooks Ellis, are hometown boys, alumni of Topanga Elementary and very much connected to the spirit of the canyon, and they are the promoters behind a festival now in its thirteenth year, Reggae on the Mountain.
This is a roots reggae festival, meaning the bands play reggae’s original sound, in contrast to more mainstream groups such as Sublime, who are heavily influenced by reggae but incorporate ska, hiphop, rock, and dancehall. It is also a fundraiser of sorts for the Topanga Community Center, who provided the seed money for the first gathering in 2009. Now, the TCC receives a healthy check to cover the rental of the stage and grounds, and that is a large part of the reason Reggae on the Mountain is back there this summer. Amit and Brooks have a clear vision: to introduce the music they love to a new generation, to throw one hell of a shindig, and to give back to the community that raised them and continues to support their endeavors. Amit practically shouts from the library rooftop, where we’ve met to discuss the festival, “invest in the youth!” He and Brooks are shining examples of how well that can work out.
It bears repeating that the TCC recognized the potential for greatness in two rambunctious youths who were friends with everyone’s kids and played the community room with their band, The Chiefs. Amit and Brooks were just teenagers when they proposed their vision. At the time, Adrian Wright presided over the TCC’s board, and she gave two thumbs up. Brooks tells a funny story about preparing for the maiden voyage. He and Amit had courted a big name beer sponsor, and were subsequently taken out on the town by account men wishing to wine, dine, and invoice. “We weren’t actually old enough to drink,” he says, continuing, “When they asked us what we wanted from the bar, we had to fess up. After a pause, they just asked how many kegs we wanted to order. We couldn’t drink or even sell alcohol; we actually had to hire 21+ people to sell it at the festival.”
Those years are talked about fondly. Amit and Brooks recall hiking in the Topanga woods and listening to musicians whose pedigrees go back to the Topanga of the ’60s and ’70s. Canned Heat, Neil Young and Little Feat were on repeat, and were often covered by Amit and Brooks. Many times their high school aged fans mistook these performances for original compositions by Amit and Brooks, who were quick to educate people. A band wasn’t the only thing the boys did in tandem— they drove trucks for the teamsters, were pizza delivery guys for Rocco’s, and did construction demo to earn an honest buck. Their ethos hinges on hard work, today especially. Brooks is sometimes asked how Topanga has changed over the past two decades. His response comes easy: “It’s still Topanga, people are still wild and wacky and willing to support those starting crazy projects. Except now we have a cool beach bus.”
Ten years elapsed, with Reggae on the Mountain popping up every single summer. In 2019 the show moved to King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, and then in 2022 Amit and Brooks were invited to bring it up to Santa Barbara. It was much larger in scale, and a more ambitious operation; the founders felt the festival lost touch with the reason they started the whole thing in the first place. They decided to take the next year off to restructure, and figure out how to move forward in a more sustainable way. All roads lead back to Topanga. Amit emphasizes, “We started this to do something fun for the community. Now more than ever we need events that unify people in a world that’s increasingly divided. We need to get out of whatever narrative we’re being fed on any particular day and come back to the fact that we’re all human beings who ultimately want the same things, and have the same desire to dance, sing, eat good food, and love.” It starts at home.
For better or worse, many musical genres carry with them a stereotype, and reggae is no different. Even within the genre itself, there are those who wave a divisive flag, suggesting the music is an outcropping of a religious and cultural movement meant only for card-carrying members. Those are not the acts you will see at the TCC, for Amit curates a list of artists who are grateful to be part of the festival, and who want to share their music and message of inclusivity with a broad audience. This attitude truly embodies Bob Marley’s lyric, “one love, one heart.”
Amit explains that the unifying aspect of reggae is a heartbeat, something we all have. Literally and metaphorically, this is true. Percussively it is as well. The key to a reggae beat is the one drop drum pattern perfected in the Nyabinghi movement, a Rastafari spiritual gathering centered around chanting, drumming, singing, and dancing, with drumming playing a central role. You can hear a heartbeat in the drumming pattern. Marley may be the music of summer, but is also a voice for the oppressed and a call for freedom.
“Everyone”, says Amit, “goes through their own kind of oppression in one way or another. Everyone can relate. Music is a unifying element bringing people together in the midst of their own fights.”
As I write this article, I am listening to a playlist with Steel Pulse peppered in with nineties alternative. There is a tendency to come back to the music of our youth; it’s comfortable and familiar and makes us feel something that perhaps otherwise got lost in the minutia of adulthood. I ask Amit what it is about reggae that seems transcendent. He is quick to respond.
“This is positive music, with uplifting vibrations. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you can enjoy it. It speaks to everyone at the soul level, it’s the soundtrack of sunny days.”
It makes sense. If you’re chasing a serotonin hit, reggae provides. Reggae on the Mountain certainly draws a diverse fanbase, pulling from the Latin reggae scene in East LA, the Jamaican population, college kids, and reggae curious from all walks of life.
Though they each have other business pursuits, Amit and Brooks put their hearts and souls into this festival; they work diligently to bring incredible acts to our little town. Make no mistake, Reggae on the Mountain is an international festival, attracting an audience from across the state, the country, and the globe. So legit is this festival that Porsche of Woodland Hills is one of the sponsors. There are other reggae festivals, such as Reggae on the River in Humboldt, CA, and Cali Vibes, but Reggae on the Mountain has earned its stripes and a first class reputation. Perhaps one of the reasons ticket holders and musicians keep coming back is the humility they are approached with. “Amit and I are not rastas,” states Brooks. “We put this on and allow the real roots people to play and make it their own.”
Steel Pulse, a veteran of the festival, is back headlining, alongside Don Carlos. Both are legends whose music careers span over 40 years. Also expect sets from Marlon Asher, Empress Akua, Quinto Sol, The Neighborhood Orchestra, Mestizo Beat, Irie Nature, and Jah Faith. This year there will be two stages—the main stage, under the pavilion at one end of the sports field, and the B stage at the field’s opposite end. Those of you who attended Topanga Days will remember the fun zone; that is about to be transformed, so as to allow more musicians to showcase. The main stage acts have a half hour turn-over, during which time you can take your attention to the second stage and get acquainted with local talent.
There is something magical about watching Jamaican musicians and those who play Jamaican music…the way they touch the instruments as if the playing itself is an extension of their very being. You feel struggle in their song, but also a love of life. Amit and Brooks are purveyors of the experience, and self described shepherds of the now grown-up festival. With no plans to stop, they voice excitement for all the people who have come up with this event to be back with their kids. They welcome newcomers. They look to the future optimistically, and wax philosophically about the fleeting nature of life and the importance of soaking it up while you can. They express immense gratitude for where this journey has taken them. And they assure me: It’s gonna be a great party.
Reggae on the Mountain. Saturday August 17, 2024 at the Topanga Community Center. Family friendly; kids under ten get free admission.
VIP parking passes available at www.reggaeonthemountain.com, and shuttle buses making stops at multiple locations through the canyon.
You might also be interested in these past articles.
Interview with Brooks and Amit 2017
10th anniversary at King Gilette
Multiple photos of 10th
