Back again: Reggae Sundance

Unfortunately, we miss the main stage's first act, Joggo, because of the long queues at security. Every handbag and backpack is thoroughly searched and every visitor is frisked, which our neighbours from the north euphemistically refer to as receiving a 'visitation'. There's a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drugs, which is clearly noticeable by the "deposit your drugs here"-signs and the festivalgoers returning to the car park. A ban on ganja at a reggae festival in the Netherlands, say what? Isn't it about time for a uniform European policy regarding "security checks" at events?

After this interlude we then arrive at the well-known festival site during a set of United Sounds, who've been given the job of entertaining the crowd during stage changes. The site is still made up of two parts: on the one hand the actual festival site with the stage, food stalls and children's animation (this year surprisingly decorated as a prehistoric village) and on the other hand the beach with a swimming pond and a small festival market. The average age of the Sundance festival crowd is a bit higher than on other reggae festivals and the atmosphere is calm and pleasant, also thanks to the nice weather.

Early in the afternoon the king of sax Dean Fraser takes the stage and gives it his all, as always, with classics like 'None A Jah Jah Children', 'Small Axe' and 'Africa Unite'. Dean also brought rising Jamaican singer Ruffi-Ann. It's this lady's first performance in Europe and she'd like to be appreciated mainly because of her "cultural lyrics". In Eersel Jah9, who performed in Geel only the weekend before, is also backed by Dean Fraser and his band. In a silk golden two-piece she appears on stage in a relaxed mood to deliver her Rasta message. She is followed by the "barefoot boss", legendary dub poet Mutabaruka. There's chemistry between Muta and the band, which allows for the powerful protest poetry of this prophet to develop beautifully, much to the pleasure of his fans in the crowd. Pieces of word art like 'Di Sistem' and 'Poor Johnny' are thus cheered to. Unfortunately, it's almost over before it has started. We don't often get the chance to see Mutabaruka live, so in our opinion it could have lasted longer than just fifteen minutes. Between 1 and 2pm we got to see Dean Fraser, Ruffi-Ann, Jah9 and Mutabaruka, which is quite a lot to push into just one hour.

Much to our regret we have to pass on Chronixx' show because of miscommunication and long delays at the press tent, but we are, however, present for Protoje. Here in Eersel he performs with his Indiggnation band as well and, as expected, the setlist is similar to the one from the weekend before at Reggae Geel. The compelling flow of Protoje's lyrics in combination with the bouncy background singers hopping up and down is clearly appreciated by the crowd.

What's left to say about Israel Vibration (backed, as usual, by the most recent incarnation of the Roots Radics with Dean Fraser thrown in as an extra)? Pretty much everyone on site can sing along to their songs at the top of their voices, but the fire of the early years seems far away; Israel Vibration has become a routine touring machine, never bad, but definitely not a high-flier.

After the mellow vibes of Israel Vibration it's time for a drastic change of tempo with dancehall clown Elephant Man. Dressed in a pair of cheerful pyjamas, the "energy god" gets the crowd wild in no time with monster hits like 'Pon di River', 'Willie Bounce' and 'Nuh Linga'. Most songs have an accompanying dance and those who are tired are told to return home. After asking around in the crowd about the entree fee (50 euros), Ele promises that he'll deliver at least 20 euros worth of entertainment, just to leave something for the other artists as well. Furthermore, he threatens to leave the stage immediately if someone in the crowd dares not to jump to his music; a threat clearly taken seriously by the crowd, as the mass of people in front of the stage instantly go up and down in sync. Slightly out of breath we begin to realise why this guy published a workout DVD a couple of years ago to showcase his dance moves. The show gets even crazier (is he really jumping on stage with a midget in his arms?) and then eventually calms down with an ode to Buju. Elephant Man leaves the stage to the tunes of 'Stand by Me', only to be called back by presenter Mutabaruka. The "barefoot boss" wants to challenge the "energy god" to a dance-off with the latest new dance hype he came up with himself. This choreographic tour de force is called 'Nah Do Nothing' and even Dean Fraser's completely cracked up when Elephant Man and Mutabaruka try to stand as still as possible to the band playing 'Chaka Chaka'. Eventually they both burst out into wild dancing, causing great joy amongst the crowd.

Gentleman delivers a varied and successful show, which is clearly appreciated by the festival goers, given their reactions. In spite of his success, the German reggae sensation continues to shine in modesty, which does nothing but strengthen his message even more. The tempo changes regularly and the band is obviously a well-oiled machine. The end of the set is marked by Gentleman's older hits like 'Dem Gone' and 'Superior' which a lot of fans clearly had been waiting for. When Gentleman announces an ode to one of his friends who's passed-away, the crowd falls completely silent and lighters rise up in the air. It brings a beautiful end to a great show.

You could say there's no Reggae Sundance without Alpha Blondy, as it's already the fifth time the Ivorian reggae star is performing here and he can unashamedly be called the uncrowned king of the festival. Opinions concerning the closing act are divided as some have grown tired of seeing Alpha Blondy while others think his appearance is more than appropriate given the festival's long-time absence. The fact still remains that Alpha delivers an almost perfect (although very recognisable) show every single time. To the tunes of 'Brigadier Sabari' you may as well hum "le festival est fini" ("the festival has come to an end") and that makes it the perfect closing act for a reborn Reggae Sundance.

Short postscript by Mutabaruka: next year Reggae Sundance lovers will most likely be able to enjoy a two-day festival again. Let the countdown begin...