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‘It’s who we are.’ Lost in Riddim festival organizers bring international acts to Sacramento

Lost in Riddim festival comes to Railyards District in Downtown Sacramento on October 2 and 3, from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

It is the vision of two childhood friends and Sacramento-natives, Fornati Kumeh and Jehu “Manny” Hunter to bring African and Carribbean music and vibrations to Sacramento at an accessible space in the city.

The two-day festival will be headlined by Grammy award-winning artists, WizKid and Burna Boy.

Other artists include: Tems, Tiwa Savage, Amaarae, Enisa, Fireboy and more, while DJ Cuppy and Donovan’s Sound Club perform music sets throughout the festival.

Hunter was born in New Jersey, but moved to Sacramento when he was three years old and Kumeh is from the Elk Grove-area.

Both of Liberian descent, the two friends wanted to host a festival for the style of music they grew up listening to.

“It’s who we are, it’s what we identify with. It’s the music we listen to, our parents listen to, and our cousins,” said Kumeh. “Sacramento is home and we want to start bringing dope things to the city.”

The friends both ended up at Sacramento State. Kumeh became an entrepreneur, hosting parties and events which eventually grew to concerts and festivals.

Hunter’s first passion was psychology and counseling. He graduated from Sac State with both degrees, worked in the nonprofit sector for 10 years, and threw parties and events with Kumeh on the side.

One of those events was Irie Nights, formerly held at Harlow’s, 2708 J Street, a dance party set to the latest reggae, dancehall, afro beats, and hip-hop jams. From there a culture was born.

“I’m just seeing the love we got from that, seeing how much people embrace the music. It’s kind of like the next challenge is ‘okay how big can we take this now,’” said Hunter, thinking back to Irie Nights. “What if that music that we were listening to, all those artists, are actually here physically, we all can see and celebrate that music?”

From Irie Nights, they developed the R&B concert, Sol Blume, which featured acts like Jhene Aiko, Miguel, Masego, The Internet, Arin Ray and more.

“It really is just symbolic of how we want everybody to feel at the festival,” Kumeh responded after being asked why the two named the festival ‘Lost in Riddim’. “Really getting lost in the rhythm, lost in the music, lost in the artists, catching vibes, catching feels, and feeling like nothing else matters, but that moment.”

Both agree that this is a monumental moment for the city of Sacramento and themselves. They say their moment of vindication will begin when the lines start pouring in and the festival begins on October 2, continuing on Oct. 3.

VIP tickets are sold out, but general admission tickets are still available for purchase, here.

General admission tickets include access to concessions, food vendors, merchandise and free water stations. The food options are local and will include options for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free attendees.

For more information, visit www.lostinriddim.com.