The sixth incarnation of the Monterey Bay ReggaeFest is upon us. In the past, the festival has showcased an entire Rastafarian galaxy of performers such as Pato Banton, Burning Spear, and Israel Vibration. This year, Andre and Pamela Smith (A&P Productions) will harvest yet another budding crop of good vibrations from roots-oriented legends like Jimmy Cliff, who is headlining Sunday night, to local groups like Jonah & the Whalewatchers. The ReggaeFest starts at 10am each day, and ends sometime around 10pm each evening. (But, remember, we''re talking reggae time--it could begin or end later...)

The festival has grown steadily larger over the past five years, due mainly to the diligent work of the promoters who have invested not only their pocketbooks in the ReggaeFest, but also their hearts and souls. The Smiths personally pass out thousands of flyers for their festival each year, bringing an ever-increasing number of people from outside our area to the festival.

Their success in nurturing the festival is almost enough to make a person ignore some of its less-well organized aspects. Like the annual confusion over performance schedules. Burning Spear, for instance, crawled up on stage at 11pm a few years ago after technical difficulties delayed the show, and Pato Banton extended his set far past what anyone wanted to see at last year''s event. Maybe that''s the beauty of it though: the spontaneity of the Rastafarian form of music. The ''Gospel choirs of Jamaica'' play for the spirit and the messages they intend to communicate, not for timetables and stop watches. Most of the musicians appearing will play music they forged out of a life of oppression, poverty, and spiritual experience. They come from a country and a mindset that adds credence to their roots-oriented sounds.

All in all, the sixth annual ReggaeFest promises to be more than just passive entertainment. It will also give you background on a Jamaican culture of passion- ate music, and the chance to experience the power of music written to unite the crowd-and that''s something severely needed in today''s popular culture.

Saturday

Buju Banton headlines the festival on Saturday. He is the artist who broke Bob Marley''s record for the most number one singles in one year on Jamaica''s music charts. Banton is a dancehall Reggae stylist, whose lyrics lend heavily to his embracement of Rastafarianism. "To whom much is given, much is required," said a thoughtful Buju Banton during an interview with one music publication.

The Wailing Souls will play as well. They are responsible for introducing many listeners, young and old, to the reggae sound for the first time. Lloyd "Bread" McDonald and Winston "Pipe" Matthews are among an elite group of original culture fathers who made reggae what it is today. Their song "Renegade Survivor" is featured in the 20th Century Fox animated film Titan A.E.

Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig, the founder of the globally renowned harmony trio Israel Vibration, embarked on a solo career in 1998 and will perform his own music for the festival. He found his roots at the age of 3 when he contracted polio and could not move the lower part of his body. "I would just sit down and sing every day," he recalls on his Website, "because I never had anything else to do." The triumph of this man''s spirit in the form of his music will spin you around like a red-plastic top.

Also scheduled for Saturday are The Reggae Angels, a 12-piece traditional group from Oakland; Zema (pronounced Zay-ma), a veteran roots reggae artist who claims herself as part of a "small number of women braving the reggae waters"; Don Carlos, and Earl Zero (or "Z"), a well known and collected recording artist with an authentic sound.

Sunday

Headlining on Sunday night will be the legend Jimmy Cliff. Bob Dylan once called Jimmy Cliff''s tune "Vietnam" the greatest protest song he had ever heard. That same song brought Paul Simon to Kingston to record with Cliff''s engineer and rhythm section for "Mother and Child Reunion," the first white-boy, Yankee reggae song ever. Cliff''s career has been colorful and has included acting and singing in Perry Henzell''s film The Harder They Come. Jimmy Cliff is legendary, professional, and will put on a show which will be no second-rate jive.

The Twinkle Brothers from the North Coast of Jamaica will play on Sunday as well. The Twinkle Brothers have produced 63 albums, a ''live'' Sunsplash album and video, one live album in Poland, three albums on Virgin label and one on Quiet Storm released last year. The Twinkle Brothers have toured Europe, America, Africa, Scandinavia, Poland, Belguim, Spain and a myriad of other countries. Ralston Grant is husband to performer Della Grant who will also be appearing in this year''s festival.

The Mystic Revealers will perform as well. The Free Icon publication in Iowa city said that the Mystic Revealers are "root reggae''s newest torch bearers, and they have got the material to prove it..."

Other performances on Sunday will include Jerry Jheto; Humble Soul from the Hawaiian island of Oahu; and Della Grant, wife of Ralston Grant of the Twinkle Brothers, a singer with a splendid voice and a fetish for visiting cold places like Poland where "the people are so warm." Obviously the weather we''ve been having lately makes Monterey the perfect place for her.

Reggae Lounge

During the festival, a number of other bands will be playing indoors at The Reggae Lounge. It''s great place to see groups and have a cocktail but not a good place bring your kids to unless they have a fake ID like that toddler who stiff armed me during the MoCo Fair.

Playing during the festival: Jonah & the Whalewatchers, (the local boys who have been stuck in the ''lounge'' for over five years. Someone should allow them to play the main stage sometime; they deserve it.); Natural Vibrations, Mr Major P, Global Echo, Habesha.

Tickets for the festival are $30 a day and are available at all Bass Outlets or call 394-6534. Kids under 10 get in for free.