First held in 1994, the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (SNWMF) is one of the longest running shows promoting reggae in the United States. This year’s event takes place June 21-23 at Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Booneville, California.
Gretchen Franz Smith, who leads the promotional team, said fans will experience another three days of eclectic music by artists from diverse cultures.
“It continues the legacy of founder Warren Smith, by presenting conscious roots-reggae and world music with a message of unity. Warren was internationally known for curating unique artiste lineups that included, ‘something for everyone’. SNWMF is a family-friendly event, and we present music for all ages and demographics,” she said.
Warren Smith, her husband, died in January 2021. He was the mastermind behind the SNWMF which has always been held in Northern California, traditional home of roots-reggae in the United States. The Tennors, Leroy Sibbles, Eric “Monty” Morris, Ranking Joe, Terry Linen, Beres Hammond, Barrington Levy, Half Pint, Koffee, Stonebwoy and Blvk H3RO are some of the artists on SNWMF 2024.
According to Smith, “The lineup is carefully curated every year to build up the genre of roots-reggae and give Jamaica’s legendary acts the esteem they deserve on the international stage, alongside African, Latin and eclectic World Music acts. We choose quality music of well-known artistes that the audience loves… and little-known artistes that they will love after they see them perform at SNWMF.”