Jahfe

If you're in the West Palm Beach area this Thursday and looking for a dose of culture, the seven-piece band known as Jahfe (which means "creation" in Creole) is bringing its reggae musical vibes to Clematis by Night. Dreadlocked singers Sasha Sanon, a Haitian native, and Esther Fortune, who was born in Miami but raised in Haiti, lead the diverse, multiracial pack of musicians that includes bassist Hunter Parpentier from the Czech Republic, rhythm guitarist Faycal Bettioui from Morocco, drummer Zach Morillo, trumpeter Patrick Converse, and lead guitarist Will Mills. Flowing from the stage onto the dance floor and into the audience, their performance includes a small mix of cover songs by traditional old-school reggae bands and a majority of their own well-crafted original ditties like "Solution," "Change Hour," and "Godly Lips" — a song with Creole and English lyrics in response to turmoil in Haiti. Expect a slight jam-band feel mixed with uptempo global rhythms to keep crowds clapping, shouting, and singing along word for word. The band's message is a remnant of the classic reggae foundation base — roots, consciousness, and universal unity.