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Rototom verhuist naar Spanje!

We kaartten de problemen van het Rototom Sunsplash festival hier al eerder aan, maar de organisatie bleef allerminst bij de pakken zitten en wat bijna onhaalbaar leek blijkt nu toch realiteit: Rototom Sunsplash zal ook deze zomer plaatsvinden (al verhuist het festival wel van de vertrouwde datum begin juli naar de laatste week van augustus) en wel in het Spaanse Benicasim!

Hieronder vindt u de officiële press release van de organisatie:

After 16 years, Rototom Sunsplash has become the biggest reggae gathering in Europe. It now attracts around130,000 people every year from 120 countries, a peaceful army of reggae lovers.

In addition to the festival’s role as an honoured European ambassador for the Jamaican reggae scene, through all the collateral activities, it has also become a legitimate voice for peace, human rights, sustainable development and positivity – in a conscious effort to build “Un altro mondo possible” (another possible world).

Confronted with the intolerance of Italian politics towards these values and above all any model of society that values different cultures and multi-racialism, Rototom Sunsplash has decided to move to Spain. This country has proven to be more democratic and more open to cultural diversity and therefore, the ideal environment for the festival to continue on its mission whilst protecting the rights of its public.

After months of intense research the festival has finally chosen Benicassim as the location for the 2010 edition.  Situated on the Mediterranean coast in the province of Castellon just 88km from Valencia, the hospitality of this place and its 17,000 inhabitants is widely demonstrated by its hosting of one of Europe’s major international indie rock festivals – ‘Fib’.

The seventeenth edition of Rototom Sunsplash will therefore take place in Benicassim from 21st to 28th August. Very soon tickets will go on presale and the first artists on the line-up will be announced. The festival will maintain its format:  As well as the musical events, the festival will feature once again meetings, debates, courses, art exhibitions, films and documentaries, meditation seminaries, holistic therapies and many other activities, largely from non profit organisations.

The objectives of Rototom Sunsplash in this new phase are to remain true to its history despite the new location, bringing the Spanish reggae scene opportunity to consolidate while continuing to bridge the gap between Europe and the Caribbean. This will definitely be favoured by to the fact Spain enjoys close ties with the Americas where reggae music already has a strong presence in the cross-Atlantic Spanish speaking countries.

Published on 20/02/2010 by Jah Rebel

Comments

Big up Sunsplash!
Jammergenoeg zalk de eerste Spaanse editie moeten missen vanwege de veranderde datum... Bummer
Jazzpah - 24/02/2010
Wie gaat er naar Sunsplash, Spain
Kunnen we misschien een bus inleggen, dat we met zijn allen kunnen gaan
zoals naar Amsterdam vorig jaar.
Zou wel leuk zijn
newborncreation - 01/03/2010
Met een knipoog naar Reggae Geel is dit toch het vermelden waard dacht ik:

Rototom Sunsplash avoids major sponsors

While major entertainment events in Jamaica depend on sponsorship for survival, according to booking manager for the Rototom Festival, Giovanni Vinci, with Rototom it is the other way round.

Vinci told The Gleaner that the event is sponsor-free.

"Our sponsors are the people who buy the tickets," he said.

He explained that six months before each edition of the summer festival about 3,000 tickets are pre-sold without the line-up being even announced as "the people trust us. With that money, we start to put on the festival."

Rototom Sunsplash 2010 was officially launched last Tuesday at the Ashanti Oasis Restaurant at Hope Gardens, St Andrew. The festival takes place from August 21-28 at Benicassim in Spain after being staged for 16 years in Italy. Among the confirmed performers are Bob Andy, Albarosie, Big Youth, Glen Washington, Anthony B, Aswad and Alpha Blondie, in addition to a number of Italian bands.

Vinci said, "We never accept big title sponsors, like Coca-Cola. The bar inside does not sell Coca-Cola. We want to be free to make a choice."

Rototom Sunsplash art director Sabrina Trovant added that it is also "to show the people that you can live out of Babylon", this in a situation where they say Coca-Cola and some beers have offered a commercial collaboration. They also pointed out that most of the brands on sale at Rototom are from smaller producers and "the beers are mostly family companies".

"The booths sell different things. It is not the usual festival where you get the same things," Trovant said.

Musical variety available

With a main stage, a second stage, various areas such as a rocksteady area, a dub room and a roots area, Vinci said "the audience can listen to the different types, the road that reggae has made from the beginning to here." However, there is one part of the journey that the festival skips. Vinci said "Rototom Sunsplash is a peaceful festival. Rototom Sunsplash does not accept any kind of violence, does not accept anyone who speaks about violence. We make a lot of fight against the artistes who speak about violence, homophobic, all that."

He added that "we have been happy when some of them change ideas."

"The idea we have of reggae is the original - love, peace and music. In a world situation like this, full of violence, war, racism, the world does not need another festival with a lot of lyrics talking about violence. We want to talk about love, respect, showing off a multi-cultural and ethical world," Vinci said.

Ites,
Rebel
Jah Rebel - 28/04/2010
Daar kan Reggae Geel (en ook Sundance, maar die zijn gelukkig al failliet) een serieuze punt aan zuigen! Men kan er resoluut voor kiezen om geen artiesten meer te programmeren die dit soort achterlijke lyrics brengen. Ook kan men inderdaad afstappen van de grote sponsors, en lokale bieren aanbieden in een land dat hierom wereldwijd BEKEND staat. Men zal wellicht fulmineren: jamaar zonder sponsors was er al lang geen Reggae Geel niemeer! Awel, dan moeten jullie je maar eens de vraag stellen: waarom geen iets duurder ticket zoals daar in Spanje, met de GARANTIE dat mensen dan echt een Ital festival kunnen beleven, waar ze KEUZE HEBBEN in eten en drank. Waarom niet nog meer eetkraampjes toelaten? Dat brengt toch ook op? En zoals gezegd kan er ook qua ecologie nog veel verbeteren... En versta me niet verkeerd, Couleur Cafe is in hetzelfde bedje ziek: die verkopen begod Bacardi!
jahghana - 28/04/2010
Jahghana, ik begrijp uw ergens punt wel... ik drink ook liever andere pils en sorteer ook liever mijn afval(daar werken ze blijkbaar aan dit jaar)
Maar zo'n kritiek geven is te gemakkelijk.
Organiseer dan gewoon zelf een festival dat volledig aan uw italnormen voldoet.
Ik ben blij dat ik al 15 zomers op rij een onvergetelijk eerste augustusweekend heb gehad. Sponsors of niet.
Dank u reggae geel!

En wat artiesten betreft. Kom niet naar het optreden kijken als je de lyrics te offensief/grof/etc vindt. Ga dan effe een ital sapje drinken op de camping ;-)
Kinja - 28/04/2010
Ik ga al 30 zomers op rij naar Reggae Geel, en heb me altijd al afgevraagd wanneer het echt een 'ital' festival zou worden, zoals overigens ook Reggae at the River in de VS. Maar blijkbaar zijn wij een minderheid in de reggae, en zeker in de organisatie. Heeft te maken met radicale, niet-commerciële keuzes, en die schrikken de meeste mensen nu eenmaal af.
Jah Shakespear - 28/04/2010

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