START shaking those dreadlocks - the sounds of Jamaica are coming to the Northland coast.
Music festival One Drop Beats All is set to rock Ngunguru on March 29 with a variety of reggae bands, organiser Wiremu Puriri says.
Mr Puriri, a lawyer and musician, said he was keen to bring some
established bands to "the coast" to give the public a fun day out. "It'll be a real family day. We hope families will come along and enjoy themselves."
Music will start about noon and continue until 8pm, or whenever it gets dark. With music continuing for about eight hours in the grounds of Ngunguru School, families can bring a picnic or eat at the food stalls, and come and go as they please.
"It's a great location, and the water's right there so you can take your kids for a swim and then come back ... It's surrounded by hills so the acoustics are good too."
Once costs are covered, Mr Puriri said he would love to give the school a koha for use of the venue.
Whangaroa band 1814 headline the Northland acts, with five Auckland bands and a DJ making the trip north.
DJ Dubhead of Auckland's bFM will warm up the crowd and provide music interludes between bands.
Three Houses Down, an 11-piece band from South Auckland, a Niuean reggae band called Tenement Yard, and Auckland band the Kingites also feature. Unity Pacific's lineup includes Tigilau Ness, father of hip-hop icon Che Fu, who is regarded as the Godfather of New Zealand reggae, Mr Puriri said.
And just when you thought there was enough variety, along comes Atsushi and the Moisties.
"They've got an Asian trumpet player dressed as a lion, which is obviously something completely different again," Mr Puriri said.
Tickets at $20 for adults and $10 for under-12s are available from Musicor in Whangarei, The Soundlounge in Kerikeri and NoiseCo in Dargaville. Entry limited to 1500 people.
