GMRF LINEUP 2025

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Jesse Royal is an internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, performer,and recording artist from Kingston, Jamaica. Through vivid storytelling rootedin the belief of a universal truth, his music carries a message of hope,strength, love, and consciousness. Not just a musician, Royal is a father, acommunity activist, a thought leader, and a global citizen guided by hisspirituality and sense of righteousness.

10 Ft Ganja Plant was born from a desire to play the only music most of us knew how, and to water the tree that had borne each of us such abundant fruit, and yet in the summer of 1999, seemed in danger of disappearing from the world… Roots Reggae. Being collectors of the music, we sought out many pieces of vintage equipment to make these records. At the time, most of us were out touring for several weeks at a time with John Brown’s Body. We would get off the road and run to the studio, which at the time was called “Mang Studio”, or, as some of us called it, home, and try out ideas for new songs. Throughout the summer’s long, sweltering sessions, we would frequently take breaks, hitting the rooftop to get a breath of fresh air and watch and wait for the next track to begin to materialize, usually right out of the thick air. Then back down to put it to tape. Raw.

Formed in 2001 in Rochester, NY, Giant Panda first received praise for their live show, which combined world beats and reggae rhythms with an urgent energy and jamband dynamics. It’s no surprise that Live For Live Music called the band, “...one of the most innovative and genre-pushing reggae bands out there.” The twenty year-old band consists of Dylan Savage (guitar, vocals), James Searl (bass, vocals), Chris O'Brian (drums, vocals), Eli Flynn (guitar, vocals), and Tony Gallicchio (keyboards). Beyond their celebrated live energy, Panda has also released six studio albums,

ranging from their alternative Americana releases Country (2012) and Bright Days (2015) to their Billboard Reggae Chart toppers Steady (2014) and Make It Better (2016), Giant Panda has built an extensive and eclectic catalog that stands the test of time. Their new album Love In Time [Easy Star Records] has an April 7 2023 release date and delivers a fresh new evolution of the band’s trademark

sound that results from their newly collaborative approach.

Mighty Mystic is considered as one of the leaders in the U.S. Reggae scene and labeled by many as one of the more prolific artists to develop outside of Jamaica. He has gripped the scene with ferocious conviction and an uncanny ambition worthy to be mentioned among the greats. He has gone from being a fan of reggae music to being a contributor to the art. Mighty Mystic came on the scene in 2006 after scoring his first international hit with the song “Riding on the Clouds.” However, it wasn’t until the release of his first album “Wake up the World” (2010) that he became a household name. “Wake up the World” boasted several standouts, such as “Revolution,” “Riding on the Clouds,” “Original Love,” and “Slipped Away” with appearances from reggae icon Shaggy and roots rocker Lutan Fyah. 

SunDub is a testament to the power of inclusion, diversity and unity— their music and community rallies around the concept that we are strongest when people of different backgrounds can work together to create positive change. These core values are showcased on SunDub’s first release, “Burden of Love,” which has since amassed millions of streams and whet the appetites of listeners around the world for their next release. In a world that is dominated by watered-down distillation of reggae, SunDub aims to honor the roots of Jamaican music while offering their unique ability to combine soul and funk sophistication into their art. 

Signal Fire has been blazing a trail in the US reggae scene since forming in2013. Hailing from the East Coast, in the coastal town of Wilmington, NC, therock-reggae outfit has been steadily making a name for themselves with aDIY approach and dedication to their craft. Signal Fire has released 4 fulllength albums of modern roots reggae music. Their sophomore album, “LiftUp” (Mixed & Co-produced by Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown) reached #1 on theiTunes Reggae Charts. The bands third album “Wake Up” (produced & mixedin their home studio by the bands frontman, Sean Gregory) reached #8 onthe Billboard reggae charts. Their latest body of work “Rhythm of Life” is acollection of songs recorded during the pandemic has become their bestreceived record to date gaining over 6 million online streams to date. SignalFire’s music is constantly evolving, with a maintained focus on positive andthoughtful lyrical content.

Flying Vipers create heady dubwise reggae on a Tascam 8-track in their basement bunker outside Boston. Live, they are a 7-piece unit with soulful vocals, blazing horns, bubbling keys and heavy drum & bass. Their love of Jamaican and UK 70’s roots and dub is their north star, but eclectic crates of records and a couple decades worth of DIY punk shows bleed through on tape and on stage. Formed in 2015, after a series of critically acclaimed instrumental releases, their 2025 LP, Off World (Easy Star Records), is their first to feature Kellee Webb on vocals, and is receiving international airplay from DJs David Rodigan and Don Letts. 

Kotoko Brass melds the beautifully complex traditional drumming of Central Ghana, the sturdy bass and keyboards of the Caribbean, and the joyous horns of New Orleans to forge a sound the Boston Globe has described as “propulsive, infectious party music.” The band began when brothers Ben, a performer, scholar, and educator of Ghanaian drumming, and Brian Paulding, a longtime trombone player in Boston’s reggae scene, joined forces. Ben fortified the percussion section with Attah Poku and Kwame Ofori, two master percussionists from Ghana. The rhythm section of M’talewa Thomas (bass), Dillon Zahner (guitar), Yusaku Yoshimura (keyboards), and saxophonist Andy Bergman, fill out veteran rhythm and horn sections.

Coming together as Kotoko Brass feels like a superpower. When the traditional Ghanaian percussion and driving drum set grooves meet the steady rhythm section and jubilant horn melodies, we can’t help but dance. Now, after over a year of sharing our sound and energy with audiences across New England, we have seen just how infectious this energy is.

While each member plays an equal and vital role in Kotoko Brass, the drums are at the heart of the band. The tradition of Asante drumming is intimately intertwined with dance in West Africa, and our audiences experience that first-hand. That instinctual link between drumming and dancing exists in nearly all indigenous traditions, and it informs the harmony and melody in all of our music.

At its core, our music is a celebration of tradition, diversity, and unity. While our compositions are influenced by and emerge from the rich culture and heritage of the Asante Kingdom of central Ghana, they are brought to life by a group that spans age, ethnicity, and nationality. The wealth of our varied musical experience serves not only as an endless well of inspiration, but as a vital opportunity to broaden the depths of our communication as humans.

Marissa Lelogeais is not a person defined by her disabilities. 

If you ask her she will say: her "life is music, and music is her life.” While studying at Berklee College of Music, she was so moved by the music and story of Bob Marley and the people of Jamaica that she decided to write and record roots reggae music. Since then, Mar has even had the opportunity to travel to Jamaica and immerse herself in their music and culture.

Now an adult with a blossoming career, Mar is the band leader and lead vocalist of the empowering movement: The Merry Rockers. Through song and story, she shares her views on inclusion from the perspective of a functionally alter-abled person and consistently wows audiences in all settings - be it on stage as full band show production, in front of a conference as a keynote or inclusive break out session education forums.

For anyone with challenges she has the following advice - “To never give up on their dreams. You may think that your dream is unattainable. Believe me, I did. But when you're determined enough and have people that support you, anything is possible. You might not be able to do it to the same extent as someone who doesn't have any disabilities at all, but you can still do it.”