Pahrump sways to island beats during music festival

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times Jewelry, clothing and other items were available at the "One Love" music festival that brought reggae and other styles of music to Ian Deutch Memorial Park on May 12, 2018. Authentic Caribbean cuisine was available during the day-long festivities, along with American-style food.

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times Attendees of the "One Love" music festival at Ian Deutch Memorial Park on May 12, 2018 listen to reggae and other music styles. Stan Rankin T performed along with The Meshack Reggae Band, Eric London and others from the mid-afternoon and into the evening.

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times A drummer keeps the beat going during the "One Love" music festival at Ian Deutch Memorial Park during Mother's Day weekend. The tempo was mostly reggae-style music, but other genres were also part of the festivities, including rock, jazz and blues.

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times Caribbean cuisine was served during the "One Love" music festival at Ian Deutch Memorial Park on May 12, 2018. The menu included jerk chicken, rice and other tastes of the "islands" as well as other options for American cuisine.

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times A music festival called "One Love" brought out several performers to Ian Deutch Memorial Park during Mother's Day weekend on May 12, 2018. Performers danced, sang and beat drums during the one-day long event that highlighted reggae, rock, jazz, blues and other styles of music.

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times A musician plays jazz-style music at Ian Deutch Memorial Park on May 12, 2018. The alto sax player was one of many performers at the "One Love" music festival during Mother's Day weekend.

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times Stan Rankin T (right) watches performer in local music festival "One Love," focused on reggae, jazz and other music genres, on May 12, 2018 at Ian Deutch Memorial Park. Rankin T, a well-known figure in reggae music in Southern Nevada, created and organized the day-long event and also took to the stage himself during the festival.

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times A performer sings reggae-style music at Ian Deutch Memorial Park on May 12, 2018. The sounds of music that found its origins in Jamaica in the late 1960s pulsed across the park throughout the afternoon and into the evening during a musical festival coined "One Love."

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times Stan Rankin T, a well-known figure in reggae music in Southern Nevada, performs at his "One Love" music festival during Mother's Day weekend on May 12, 2018 at Ian Deutch Memorial Park. Rankin T was one of several performers at the day-long event that drew many eventgoers to hear some island beats and other types of music.

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times Jamaica native Stan Rankin T, a well-known figure in reggae music in Southern Nevada, performs at his "One Love" music festival during Mother's Day weekend on May 12, 2018 at Ian Deutch Memorial Park. Rankin T and accompanying band rocked their island beats for attendees of a day-long festival Rankin T organized.

Jeffrey Meehan/Pahrump Valley Times Performers at the "One Love" music festival at Ian Deutch Memorial Park sing beats from the islands in the Caribbean on May 12, 2018. Roughly two dozen attendees, and several passerby, rocked to the rhythms from afternoon and into the evening.

The sounds of the islands and other beats pulsed across Ian Deutch Memorial Park during Mother’s Day weekend with several performers hitting the stage during a music festival coined “One Love.”

The day-long One Love music festival brought performances by area musicians with the sounds of reggae, blues, jazz and other beats to the park for most of the afternoon to a couple dozen attendees and those passing by and partaking in other activities on May 12.

“I want to bring the music to the people of Pahrump, the show, the atmosphere, the sound, to the people of Pahrump—different vibes,” said Stan Rankin T, the festival’s organizer.

The “One Love” festival brought out Caribbean-style food, along with other flavors.

Also, jewelry and colorful apparel, some featuring famed reggae legend Bob Marley, and other items, were available for sale during the festival.

Rankin T, a native of Jamaica, has been in the reggae scene in Las Vegas for more than three decades. He has been on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ KUNV 91.5 The Source radio station, playing reggae since 1982.

The performer and DJ is on the station every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Rankin T performed his reggae beats during the “One Love” festival, as did other noted performers: The Meshack Reggae Band, Eric London, Jennifer and the June Bugs and others. The event was emceed by Marvin Capleton, according to information on the event’s advertisement.

Rankin T said he’s performed all over the state, including many places in Nye County: Goldfield, Beatty and other spots. He has lived in Pahrump for about 25 years.

In 2017, he brought an event dubbed Caribbean Mardi Gras Carnival/Reggae Festival to the Bob Ruud Community Center.

He is hoping to bring more reggae and other music to the area in the future.

Contact reporter Jeffrey Meehan at jmeehan@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes