Ill health forces late change to Bay of Islands Music Festival line-up

Ill health has forced a change for Saturday's Bay of Islands Music Festival, with Jamaican legend Toots and the Maytals having to pull out of the gig.

Toots and the Maytals will no longer be appearing on the bill at the Waitangi festival because main man Frederick "Toots" Hibbert is unable to attend due to health reasons. Toots and the Maytals have also had to cancel their performance at the One Love festival at Tauranga Domain the following day.

Bay of Islands Music Festival organiser Jackie Sanders said it was a shame Toots had to cancel, but she had managed to get another international reggae act in to replace the band.

Polynesian recording artist George "Fiji" Veikoso will be on the bill instead.

''Fiji is known as the island reggae king and much loved, never been up here so a great replacement,'' Sanders said.

Fiji is one of the most original and dynamic entertainers the Pacific Rim has produced who continues to be one of the most influential artists in contemporary island reggae music.

Since leaving his Fijian island homeland and settling in Hawaii at age 14, Fiji's golden voice and expansive musical repertoire have launched him on to the world stage as a pioneer of the Lost Coast Sound.

Fiji's island-roots inspired grooves have also earned him a place in popular television and film. He co-wrote the theme song for Baywatch Hawaii, appeared as an actor in the film Blue Crush and performed on the Live with Emeril Lagasse cooking show.

The Bay of Islands Music Festival also features performances from Jamaican superstar Shaggy, Shihad, Aussie rockers Wolfmother, Black Seeds, Ladi6 and Northland band Otium. Tickets are $99 and on sale at eventfinda.co.nz. More information at www.BOImusicfestival.com