Marley fest mixes it up

Bob Marley was an icon, a cultural hero and a musical innovator, turning reggae into a venue for profound self-exploration and social justice. He was not a man known for licking his lips on stage while thrusting his crotch at all the sexy ladies. That would be a man called Shaggy.

Which made for some strange, if intriguing, contrasts Sunday on Day Two of the annual Bob Marley Day festival at the Long Beach Arena, which also included sets by Sean Paul, several sons of Marley and surprise guest Ben Harper.

Although he graciously praised Marley as “the king,” Shaggy’s pop music couldn’t have less to do with the late reggae star’s. He was interested in playful sex talk, boasting, “Once you go coconut, you stay coconut, baby. There ain’t nothing like a Jamaican lover.”

In a similar vein was Paul, singing of romance and manhood while wearing a Tupac Shakur shirt, making dancehall pop that exists in the world of club remixes, not classic dub.

Southern California folk-pop singer Harper delivered reggae in the style of Marley, challenging the 13,000 fans with messages and melody, not beats and samples. His five-song set closed with “My Own Two Hands,” a soulful roots-reggae song that opens his upcoming album, “Diamonds on the Inside,” finding fresh inspiration in a classic sound.

Later came a 90-minute set by three Marley sons, including Damian Marley, adding an excited dancehall pace to his family’s traditions. He hurried to the stage, chanting, “Mr. Marley, they know your name!” with an intense, fiery edge. Stephen Marley took a more traditional approach, singing new songs and classics by his father, and bringing youthful energy to a stirring, hypnotic beat unlikely to ever fade away.