By Noe Gutierrez
Reggae Residency is the payoff that comes from being inspired by great individuals who are accomplished and continue to do great things out of the desire to affect others positively. Ronnie King is that inspiration. King is a multi-platinum, Oscar and Grammy nominated, Diamond Certified (more than 10 million units) producer, composer, arranger, musician and philanthropist. He has collaborated with a plethora of varied artists that include: Mariah Carey, Tyrese Gibson, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, The Offspring, Rancid, One11 and Jimi ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald. He is currently working with local music champions Mikey Reyes, Higher Heights and Irie Junctions in establishing an alliance to harvest the desert reggae sound.
The principal fruit in that harvest is The Mikey Reyes Acoustic Movement. They will be headlining the first Reggae Residency at Schmidy’s Tavern on Friday, June 27. The show is free and will be the first in a string of reggae shows showcasing Coachella Valley and High-Desert reggae artists. Performing with Reyes will be Bryanna Evaro on bass and vocals and the potential for Benjamin Kennedy to join them on drums. The movement has many interchangeable players and a surprise guest is always a possibility.
There is a kinship between Reyes and King. He considers King a mentor. Like King, Reyes was raised in Indio and honed his skills at an early age while growing thick skin. Despite some obvious differences there is a mirroring of both King and Reyes. I believe King sees a lot of himself in Reyes.
The Mikey Reyes Acoustic Movement has performed at various venues across the valley including Eureka Indian Wells and Tack Room Tavern at the Empire Polo Grounds. Reyes is excited about the prospect of being heavily involved in continuing to develop the legacy of desert reggae, “We’re looking forward to Reggae Residency. It’s gonna be a great time!”
The story behind Higher Heights according to Mike Fernandez, vocalist and leader: “Higher Heights represents a higher state of consciousness and understanding. In general HH is a universal expression, and other form of nirvana, sublime; it’s a peace.” This description allows the listener to be open to understanding HH music and where it is derived from. Ronnie King describes Fernandez as “a song writer first”. This is what intrigued King when he was approached with the possibility of working with HH and Fernandez.
On his collaboration with Ronnie King: “I was surfing local artists on their pages and I saw Ronnie was working with one of them in his studio. I became interested in knowing more about Mr. King. While I was in church my pastor and very good friend Angel Santillanes asked me about my music and I said I was looking for a producer. I mentioned that I wanted to see about contacting Ronnie. Then he said ‘Ronnie King? I know Ronnie he’s a good friend of mine.’ That night my wife, Mercedes, attempted to contact Ronnie. He responded and we set up a date to meet at Chateau Relaxo, King’s music studio in Thermal, CA. The rest is history. Mr. King is a very uplifting and positive person.”
Fernandez musical influences: “My musical influences are many. Bob Marley and Pete Seeger are two primary influences. The music that has left an impact in my life are the music writers who record thoughts from their heart, in a fullness with no profanity. The music must be positive with a good vibe feel to it.”
Where Fernandez sees HH going: “HH will keep moving forward with this new Desert Reggae movement. My band and I are very excited. For now, our musical work will speak for itself. We are hoping our music finds a place in the hearts of the listeners. We are just starting this journey. At the moment Mr. King is producing our first single. The song is carefully being worked on. At the moment we are adding finishing touches. We are almost done and we expect completion soon.”
I asked Fernandez about the HH mission statement: “HH’s mission statement is to create positive and uplifting music that gives people peace and joy.”
Reggae Residency will be the first live performance by Higher Heights. Joining Fernandez will be his son Adrian Fernandez on drums and Mario Quintero on bass. They will perform after Mozaiq.
The montage of reggae music that is Mozaiq originated in October of 2013. The current incarnation of the band includes Marc Diaz on lead vocals, Robert Alexander on keyboards, Daniel Torres on lead and rhythm guitar, Danny Cedeno on bass, Fernanda Pareja on background vocals and Saul Ibarra on drums & background vocals. Diaz shared with me how Mozaiq came to be and what they represent, “The name Mozaiq came from the fact that I like to create that type of art in my free time. It’s also a metaphor for this band, in particular, for myself and Robert. We were two guys, who, like a mosaic, have been broken by life’s events and tragedies. We bonded together for the common purpose of creating beautiful art through music.”
Seeing Mozaiq live reminds you of their mission to have an all-inclusive sound. I witness this live at The Hood a few months back. “Our goal is to have an eclectic sound like no other. Our music is heavily influenced by roots reggae with an R&B flow with jazz and hip hop infusion,” Diaz states. Focused on original music that is not yet ready for the masses, they will perform some specially chosen time-honored reggae when they are the first band to perform this Friday night at Schmidy’s Tavern. Diaz reassures their fan base and is humbled by their opportunity, “We are currently working on several original songs which we hope to record and perform this fall. We feel so privileged and blessed to be able to perform music for people, especially our people in the Coachella Valley.” Mozaiq will set Reggae Residency in motion at approximately 9 p.m.
Mikey Reyes – www.facebook.com/MIkeyReyesAM
Higher Heights – www.facebook.com/groups/254156138078619/
Mozaiq – www.facebook.com/pages/Mozaiq/467238573376040
