Ras Alan and the Lions at Bele Chere Festival

Bluegrasstafari! The originator of Appalachian reggae played Bele Chere this year. Ras Alan is the real deal, what you see is what you get. He's all southern Appalachian country Rastaman.

Here's his bio from the website: http://appalachianreggae.com/

Ras Alan - Appalachian Reggae musician
He celebrated Bob Marley’s TALKING BLUES reggae release in Jamaica with Ziggy, Stephen, Julian and Rita Marley; he picked informal
gospel and swing tunes with American music icons Doc Watson and Jethro Burns; he
learned ancient tribal rhythms and melodies at the feet of African blues master Ali Farke Toure and Nigerian Master drummer Babtunde Olatunji. His original “reggabilly” songs and self-produced CDs have navigated the
Grammy@ process, enlivened the Archives of Appalachia and represent “Contemporary
Southern Appalachian Culture and Music” in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington,
DC. He’s been featured on Country Music Television, PBS and NPR stations nationwide.

He is a devoted father, architect, carpenter and organic gardener. He lives in the mountains just hours from where he was born into a large, close-knit family and
continues to pick Carter Family and Jimmy Rodgers tunes with his father and uncles at
various reunions and yearly gatherings. He plays a flat top guitar he built in 1980.