Reggae great Peter Tosh’s youngest son Tosh1 joins Tosh’s cousin Sister I Live, the Nyabinghi Drummers and special guests in this Ashkenaz celebration of the birthday and life of Peter Tosh (Oct. 19, 1944 – Sep. 11, 1987). The evening is an uplifting event through conscious reggae music that includes Nyabinghi drumming with Rastafarian chanting, the true roots of reggae. The celebration begins at 8 pm with a documentary film compiled by Tosh’s relative Carlton “Carl T” Campbell, producer of tonight’s event, featuring raw footage, live performance highlights, and a unique look at one of reggae’s legends.

Peter Tosh, also known as the Mystic Man, the Bush Doctor, and the Son of Reggae, was a founding member of the Wailers with Bunny Livingston/Wailer and Bob Marley. Tosh was the guitarist and one-third of the singing team until 1974, when he and Bunny both left the Wailers to Marley and pursued solo careers. His first album and its title song, “Legalize It,” became an anthem and rallying cry for Rastafarians and others who consider marijuana an integral part of their religion. His 1978 “Bush Doctor” album was issued on the Rolling Stones’ label, and he toured as their opening act. Other hits included “Apartheid,” “Equal Rights,” and “Not Gonna Give It Up.” He received a Grammy Award in 1987 for “No Nuclear War,” but was killed that year during a robbery attempt at his Jamaican home. His spirit lives on in his message and music, which continues to inspire new generations of musicians.
 
Just 7 years old at the time of his father’s death, Tosh1 began writing his own songs almost immediately. Music became a calling, and as Tosh1 says, “My mission is to deliver a message of truth without compromise in the language I am most familiar with: the language of the struggle.” In recent years Tosh1 has shared concert stages with greats of Peter Tosh’s generation, including Sizzla, Gregory Isaacs, and the Wailers Band (performing his dad’s songs), and has collaborated with Dennis Brown’s son, Daniel. He is at work on his first album.

A cousin of Peter Tosh, Jamaican-born singer and dancer Sister I-Live has been a major voice in the Bay Area reggae world for two decades. She was the vocalist for the groups The Chosen Few, The Elevation, and the Out Of Many One Band. A committed Rastafarian, she took her reputation as a dancehall diva and Nyabinghi chanter forward to lead her own band. She has released two CDs (a third CD, “Herb Woman,” is in the works) featuring original songs and classic reggae cover tunes. Her sets are peppered with island dance music and Nyabinghi chanting, as well as calypso and soca rhythms.