GET TOGETHER NOW, BE ALL RIGHT REGGAE MUSICIANS HIT L.A.

Byline: Theo Douglas Staff Writer

TWO DECADES after his early passing, the megastardom of Bob Marley still hangs over the reggae scene - and probably always will.

While many reggae musicians find success recording, playing across the world and in festivals throughout America, few can hope to even swing on a point of Bob Marley's star.

But they're soldiering on - and by all accounts, the American public is listening in numbers that once again seem to be on an upward tick.

On Sunday, The One Love Reggae Festival, featuring Toots & the Maytals, Luciano, Israel Vibration and a host of other backbeat heavies, will blow into the Greek Theatre.

``There's a lot of good artists'' on the bill, says the legendary Frederick Hibbert - the artist usually known as Toots, the childhood nickname his brother gave him. ``It'll make a good show. New and old songs.''

Some performers, such as Luciano - who was nominated for a Grammy this year - may opt to showcase newer material in their sets. But it's understandable if Toots & the Maytals (also featuring Nathaniel ``Jerry'' Mathias and Raleigh Gordon) look backward while they play.

This, after all, is a band that was one of the cornerstones of reggae music.

Formed in the early '60s, disbanded in 1981, then re-formed in 1990, the Maytals were there at reggae's birth. First versed in ska, reggae's speedier, danceable daddy, they took an 18-month breather in 1966 when Hibbert was sent to prison for possessing and smoking marijuana.

Following his release, the Maytals slowed down the beat like other bands were doing - and are credited with coining this new sound's name, in a tune called ``Do the Reggay.''

``Jamaicans created their own style,'' Hibbert recalls in a telephone interview from his home in Kingston, Jamaica - the Maytals' birthplace. ``Ska was fast, rock steady (another reggae forerunner) was slow. Reggae is ... three different kinds of music, really.''

Blues, funk, ska and rock steady - there are echoes of each in the reggae songbook, and often a lot more than that. Different bands naturally have different musical agendas ranging from political to danceable, and their sounds, while all reggae, are frequently all over the map. Also on Saturday's bill:

--Tanto Metro & Devonte, members of superstar Beenie Man's Shocking Vibes Crew in Jamaica. Known for their rockin' beats, they're also rather notorious for, well, keepin' it real. Their current single ``Give It to Her'' has been attracting urban radio, charting at No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

--Saxophone talent Dean Fraser has been named one of the top three saxophonists in the world by none other than that august authority, the Guinness Book of World Records. He's also recorded a crate full of records over the past 25 years.

--The Stone Love Movement, reggae scene veterans now in their 20th year, will be pumping up the jams and deejaying their own sounds. They're considered among the top reggae ``sound systems'' in the world.

One thing missing is politics. Hibbert, for one, says he eschews writing and singing about Jamaica's often-turbulent political scene. ``It's all culture. Nothing political, just culture,'' says the man who turned his jail term into a hit single, ``54-46, That's My Number,'' a reference to his inmate number.

And he's not alone in his nonpolitical stance. Israel Vibration members Cecil ``Skelly'' Spence and Lascelle ``Wiss'' Bulgin say they focus on the reality they see on the streets.

Both suffered from polio and met while in treatment. They broke up, then re-formed after moving to New York in 1983. Signed to RAS Records since 1988, their records - which have included ``Strength of My Life,'' and ``Pay the Piper'' - reflect both their dedication to the Rastafarian religion and their keen eyes for what they see as they tour.

``To me, inspiration comes wherever we are,'' says singer Spence in a telephone interview from his Brooklyn residence. ``I try to write about things that happen around me. It's better to write things that way. (Then) more than one person can relate to me.''

The ``I-Vibes,'' as his band is colloquially known, may not be big stars in this country; their records may not hold the American party anthems, which some Marley records are known for - but like other artists on the One Love tour, Spence says he's just as interested in connecting with the fans.

``To me, it's like the fans are my friends,'' Spence says.

ONE LOVE FESTIVAL

What: Featuring reggae artists Toots & the Maytals, Luciano, Israel Vibration, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Dean Fraser and the Stone Love Movement.

Where: Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 5 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $30 to $50 Call [phone]

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 3) Israel Vibration, above, takes inspiration from being on the road.

Jamaican baritone Luciano, left, received a Grammy nomination this year.

(4) The legendary Frederick ``Toots'' Hibbert performs Sunday with the Maytals.