Sampalue to headline Peter Tosh birthday event

An unapologetic advocate for black power and the legalisation of ganja, Peter Tosh ruffled many conventional feathers in his time - and his militance had a major impact on Garfield 'Sampalue' Phillips.

The singer is headliner for 38th annual Peter Tosh Birthday Celebration, which takes place on October 19 at Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Centre in Berkeley, California.

"Peter Tosh was one of the prominent advocates for the legalisation of marijuana, which has now been legalised to some extent. Marijuana has been a staple of the culture as the Rastaman way of life, which is used as their sacrament," said Sampalue. He cited Maga Dawg and Jah Guide as his favourite songs by the firebrand singer Tosh, who was murdered at his Kingston home in September, 1987. Tosh was 42 years old. The Peter Tosh Birthday Celebration event salutes his legacy, which includes the landmark albums, Legalize It and Equal Rights.

In April, Sampalue released Unmistakable, his second album. His first album was Straight Outta Hannah Town, a tribute to his West Kingston roots. Left With A Broken, one of the songs from Unmistakable, recently topped the Foundation Radio Network Chart which covers the New York City reggae scene.