THE MEDITATIONS at The Freight in Berkeley

The Freight Presents THE MEDITATIONS Tuesday, September 22, 2026

INFO

Tuesday, September 22 at 8pm The Freight – Berkeley, CA Doors: 7:00 PM – Show: 8:00 PM – Dance Floor Open

HARMONY LEGENDS

Three voices, one of the tightest harmonies reggae has ever produced. Ansel Cridland, Danny Clarke, and Winston Watson, also known as The Meditations, recorded their first hit single, “Woman Is Like a Shadow,” in 1974 at Channel One Recording Studio. The group made their mark and cemented their status as reggae legends with the publication of their first two albums, Message From The Meditations and Wake Up.

Their harmonies caught the ear of Lee “Scratch” Perry, who brought them in to sing behind Bob Marley on “Punky Reggae Party.” Marley loved the sound so much he kept calling them back, for “Rastaman Live Up,” “Blackman Redemption,” and more. Many say The Meditations were his favorite group. You’ve heard them elsewhere too, behind Jimmy Cliff on “Bongo Man Youths Them A Cry” and Gregory Isaacs on “Mr. Cop.”

Ansel has carried the sound forward ever since producing Guidance, singing every lead on 1983’s No More Friends, reuniting the group for Return of the Meditations (1993), and releasing Ghetto Knowledge (1999), Stand In Love (2004), and Dangerous Society (2011) with the late Philip Smart.

Click image for Ansel Meditations live in Asheville video

TICKETS

https://secure.thefreight.org/16042/16043-meditations-260922

Ansel is a committed musician who writes, produces, and releases albums while also traveling with DaddyLion Chandell and Toussaint Webb on harmony.

The album The Meditations & Friends—Smile Again was released in 2021. Their latest album, Live It to Know It, was released in spring of 2025.