Black Uhuru with Moe's Alley and The Rudians

Moes Alley Event Details

Moes Alley presents the Grammy Award-winning reggae legends Black Uhuru with special guests, Salinas' own The Rudians!

Date: Saturday, September 7th

Doors: 8pm / Show: 9pm

Tickets: $40 in advance / $45 day of the show

Age: 21+

Black Uhuru

Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, the Gong Gong Gullie, is the founder and leader of the reggae band BLACK UHURU. Despite going through numerous lead singers and musicians, they have remained one of the most recognized and prolific reggae bands for over 45 years. The group's lineup includes Duckie Simpson, Andrew Bees, and Elsa Green.

The roots of BLACK UHURU were formed in Kingston, Jamaica's Waterhouse district, also known as Firehouse, in the early '60s. Though considered one of Jamaica's toughest neighborhoods, it was home to several other reggae singers and musicians. Duckie Simpson grew up there and learned to sing from boyhood friends Winston "Pipe" Matthews and Lloyd "Bread" McDonald of Wailing Souls, and Bob Marley. He recorded four tracks with Wailing Souls before forming his own group.

The original Uhurus (Swahili for freedom) were Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Ervin "Don Carlos" Spencer, and Rudolph "Garth" Dennis. They only recorded a few singles "Folk Songs," "Time Is On Our Side," and "Slow Coach" before separating. Don went solo, and Garth joined Wailing Souls. Duckie reformed the group, adding Michael Rose and Tarzan Nelson, both from Waterhouse. They recorded their debut album "Love Crises" in 1977 at Prince Jammy's famous studio on St. Lucia Road in Waterhouse. It was later re-released as "Black Sounds Of Freedom."

Errol later left to join The Jayes and was soon replaced by American female singer Puma Jones. They teamed up with drummer Sly Dunbar and bass player Robbie Shakespeare to develop a musical style full of deep bass thumps, loud drum slaps, sharp keyboards, long instrumentals with guitar riffs, whirly background noises, echoes, and the signature "woh oh ohs" creating their classic sound. They produced hits like "I Love King Sellassie," "Shine Eye Gals," "General Penitentiary," and "What is Life."

The Rudians

Danceable Reggae from Salinas, California. They found each other in this sacred valley and their art tells stories of reflection, spirituality, love, and the struggles in their communities. They draw inspiration from Roots, Dub, Dancehall, Metal, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Spoken Word.

This event is 21 and over. Any ticket holder unable to present valid identification indicating that they are at least 21 years of age will not be admitted to this event and will not be eligible for a refund.