The Olympic Velodrome in Carson was transformed into an outdoor temple of reggae worship on Sunday for "California Reggae Splash," nine hours of booming bass lines and syncopated drumming that had the dreadlocked crowd gyrating in a festive, party atmosphere. Booths around the perimeter sold reggae-related paraphernalia, from Bob Marley and Peter Tosh T-shirts to posters and incense to CDs, cassettes and videos.
The main attraction was Shabba Ranks, and when the Grammy-winning performer finally took the stage the entire audience came to its feet for the first time. Ranks, who grew up in the Trenchtown section of Kingston, put on a physical show, stalking the stage and pumping the crowd into a frenzy with pelvic gyrations that would have made Elvis blush.
