(this article was originally published on May 14, 2008 by Matthew Everett for Metro Pulse)

Marla and Jahti Allen, the principals of East Tennessee reggae band the Natti Love Joys, met in New York in 1983. Marla’s group, the Love Joys, had come from London to record at Lloyd Barnes’ Bullwackie Studio. Jahti had just returned from a European tour with the Congos. (A native of Kingston, Jamaica, he had joined the group as a bassist after the release of 1977’s Lee “Scratch” Perry-produced Heart of the Congos, widely regarded as the best roots reggae album ever made.) He was also a member of the popular New York band Itiopia.

“The Love Joys was my girl group, with my two cousins,” Marla Allen says. “We had a few hits in London. But we were just kids then. We were working in New York, and Jahti wanted to work with me. First we were Abel and Allen—Abel was my maiden name. Then we were A & A Reggae, and then the Natti Love Joys.”

Click here to read the rest of the article. [Metro Pulse - Knoxville, TN]

The introductory video montage to “Non Returning Status,” the documentary/multimedia experience about reggae band, the Natti Love Joys.. Video also available on Dailymotion.

A brief teaser for the Non Returning Status website with narration by Jah-T. Video also available on Dailymotion right here.

Non Returning Status presents the “Natti Love Joys: Camp Reggae” Photo Gallery on Flickr featuring over 150 images. Photography by George Washington Rogers, IV.

Click here to view this gallery on Flickr.com.

The Non Returning Status documentary consists of a series of archival footage, viral videos, vintage concert performances, interviews, and abstract audio/visual clips, all of which are available online. Above, you can view all the videos from the Non Returning Status playlist on Dailymotion, or you may click here to watch the videos on the Dailymotion website directly.

For more videos by Brass Knuckles Productions on Dailymotion, check out this URL:
http://www.dailymotion.com/brassknuxfilms

Photojournalist and author George Washington Rogers, IV spent over three years creating what would come to be known as Non Returning Status, a historical and philosophical look at the Natti Love Joys. Over this period of time, Rogers observed, traveled and even lived with the Natti Love Joys in order to fully study the band’s lifestyle and understand exactly who they are and what they belief. There are currently over 1,500 pictures documenting the making of Non Returning Status, all of which have been posted online. Through a series of Flickr photo galleries, you will be able to experience a taste of what the photographer and author experienced firsthand.

Click here to view the Non Returning Status Collection on Flickr.

Be sure to check out more photo galleries in the “Pictures” section.

Non Returning Status/Brass Knuckles Productions

Please use the addresses below to contact the creators of this website for more information about Non Returning Status and Brass Knuckles Productions.

Webmaster: nonreturningstatus[at]brassknuxfilms.com
Publicity: publicity[at]brassknuxfilms.com
George Rogers, Author & Filmmaker: wash[at]brassknuxfilms.com
Brian Greer, Filmmaker: brian[at]brassknuxfilms.com

You can also write to us at:

Brass Knuckles Productions
P.O. Box 24001
Knoxville, TN 37933-2001

www.brassknuxfilms.com

Natti Love Joys Contact Information

For more information about the Natti Love Joys and Camp Reggae:

Natti Love Joys: nattilove[at]gmail.com

Camp Reggae Festival & Camping Grounds
204 Calvender Rd.
Sassafrass Ridge
Turtle Town, TN 37391
USA

www.campreggae.net

With roots that stem from the legendary greats such as Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, and Jimmy Cliff, the sound of The Natti Love Joys is a dynamic blend of reggae, modern rhythm and blues, drum and bass, hip hop, and various forms of jazz. This creative style of music gives way to a unique one of a kind sound that captivates and amazes its crowd show after show.

Millennium Bug, the band’s first album, won the Atlanta Caribbean Music Award three years in a row: 2000, 2001, and 2002. Their second album, Universal Mind, brought forth even more spiritual energy, musical diversity, power and depth than the first. Their latest album, Thingz, is roots reggae at its very finest, with a little touch of R&B.

(Note: If you are using ad-blocking software, you may not see the Amazon MP3 playlist at the top of the page. Please disable ad-blocking on this page in order to preview the entire musical catalog of the Natti Love Joys.)

View more photos from Camp Reggae [Flickr]

Bonfires burst blazing as camps crop up around the natural amphitheater that surrounds the stage. This is Jah-T and Marla’s home that they open wide for a weekend of music and spiritual searching. During camp reggae strangers become family and a different world emerges in mountains of Sassafrass, Tennessee. The campsites stretch far back into the forest on either side. Rings of friends sit, sing, smoke, dance, and share the love.

The Natti Love Joys are the founders of Camp Reggae, a reggae musical festival that resides in the Smokey Mountains of East Tennessee. Camp Reggae focuses on the cosmic connection between nature and music and promotes dharma as a universal force to create peace and inner transformation.

In addition to live reggae music, Camp Reggae features camping, hiking, and swimming on scenic mountain property. Camp Reggae takes place on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. The festivals are sponsored by Natti Love Joys. With roots that stem from the legendary greats such as Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals and Jimmy Cliff, the sound of The Natti Love Joys is a dynamic blend of reggae, modern rhythm and blues, drum and bass, hip hop, and various forms of jazz. This creative style of music gives way to a unique one of a kind sound that captivates and amazes its crowd show after show. Voices of the Congos, Natti Love Joys, Nadine Sutherland, Bunny Brown, Shaggie Williams, Mystic Vibrations, A.K.A. Rudie, Selah, and many more still echo through gentle woodlands. Suitable for large groups.

For more information, please visit Camp Reggae Online.

Click to Enlarge - Directions to Camp Reggae

To accompany the release of the Non Returning Status photo journal, Brass Knuckles Productions has released a series of video clips documenting both the creation of the book and the history of the Natti Love Joys. Along with original footage shot by author George Rogers, the documentary also consists of archival clips of both Jah-T and Marla before they formed the Natti Love Joys, a series of abstract/viral videos that capture the essence of the material, interviews with Jah-T about his Buddhist philosophy, and of course, live performances by the band.

In order to make Non Returning Status a complete multimedia experience, these short video clips were produced and added to the internet during 2008. This website was launched in January of 2009 when the remaining video clips were added to the web to complete the documentary. The video clips are available to view online.

This documentary was compiled and executive produced by George Rogers and Brian Greer. All archival footage used with the permission and blessing of the Natti Love Joys. Original footage was shot by George Rogers. All post-production and editing was done by Brian Greer. Non Returning Status is a presentation of Brass Knuckles Productions.

George Rogers

Brian Greer