Impressions: Backstage with Damian Marley and Tarrus Riley in Dominica

Photos by Martei Korley—

In between hiking to boiling lakes and swimming in hot sulfur springs (more on all that soon), LargeUp caught the 16th annual World Creole Music Festival on our trip to Dominica last month. While hanging backstage at the venue, Dominica’s national stadium Windsor Park, we got a chance to catch up with some old friends from Jamaica, too: namely Tarrus Riley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and their respective bands. Scroll through to see Martei Korley’s candid photos.

Tarrus and Damian with producer/guitar don Mitchum “Khan” Chin, among numerous others.

Look into the background and you’ll find Damian, Tarrus and some traditional Dominican Creole wear

Jamaican sax king Dean Fraser (in Dominica as part of Tarrus Riley’s band) and engineer Romel Marshall hold a reasoning

Dean Fraser with Ingrid Holder, PR manager for soca band Krosfyah

Ingrid again, with Tarrus and Damian

Stringy, Congo Billy and Khan of Blak Soil Band. What are they discussing?

Philip “Winter” James, keyboardist for Damian Marley, with Tarrus Riley’s manager, Nancy Davis, and friends