Rototom: The Love Edition!

This edition was baptized "The Love Edition", which might sound a little corny but at the same time is quite appropriate, since there are few events that embody the typical "love, peace and unity" feeling as accurately as Rototom. For example, there is a performance for the residents of the local prison, a tour for the local pensioners and there is a day when unemployed people can buy a ticket for only 5 euro's. "Rototom is much more than a music festival!" is a statement that we often get to hear from both performers and festival guests. It is a truth that you really cannot ignore. Reggae is music from the heart and for righteous reggae fans it's an emotional experience to be a part of this group of 240,000 aficionado's. Even with the artists, the Rototom audience is a favorite, as we will get to hear very often during the festival. And rightly so, because from the first to the last row everybody is dancing, singing along, jumping and waving their flags.

The music program this year was perhaps less impressive than the previous years, but Rototom is one of those festivals where the line-up is not the most important aspect. After all, during those 8 days Rototom staged 300 performances across 9 locations, 20 meetings in the social forum, 32 events in the Reggae University and 185 workshops and other cultural activities elsewhere. You will certainly not hear us complaining about a lack of interesting activities.

No idea about the regulations regarding noise nuisance in Spain, but it is noticeable that the bass here is a lot heavier than what we are used to in Belgium. The presentation on the main stage sometimes feels a little strange. At the end of a performance, a curtain suddenly closes and the audience, barely aware that the show is over, is left a bit dazed and confused. It is a rather abrupt transition and there is no call for applause. What we did like very much, however, is the sneak preview formula between the acts on the main stage: artists who are scheduled for later that night  on other stages are given the opportunity to present themselves to the audience.

Since it's impossible to describe (or even attend) all the performances, you can find a summary of our personal highlights below:

Day 1

The first real festival day (the pre-festival wasn't very elaborate this year), August 17, just so happens to be the birthday of Marcus Garvey. We are reminded of that by Third World, who get the honor to inaugurate the main stage. The 'Reggae Ambassadors' bring 'Roots With Quality' and the masses that gathered in front of the stage steadily start moving. The knees begin to bend and soon it's time for the first pull-ups. We're off! Between hits like '96 Degrees' and 'Now That We Found Love', we are treated to a djembe session and a performance of 'Redemption Song' on the cello.

After the cheerful Latino reggae from Royal Rudes from Colombia it is time for Morodo, a Spanish group with a very topical message that brings about a mass migration. Before the show starts, there is some time for an inspiring welcome speech by human rights activist and Nobel Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu. The main stage was brought to a close by the nostalgic and playful dancehall vibes of Chaka Demus & Pliers, under the guidance of the All Spice band. The inseparable duo knows how to charm the audience with a combination of their own hits like 'Tease Me' and 'She Don't Let Nobody' and covers like 'I Shot The Sheriff' and 'Lord I Got To Keep On Moving'. The more recent 'Give Thanks', that Chaka Demus wrote in the hospital really managed to move the Rototom-audience.

Day 2

On Sunday we are early on the festival grounds for the Reggae University, where a session is planned around Jamaican Reggae Revival, with Protoje, Kabaka Pyramid, Iba Mahr and Dutty Bookman. The Reggae University event is led by Ellen and Pete from Riddim Magazine and the panel is completed by Pier Tosi and David Katz. Protoje indicates that he would like to have lived in the 1960s because he would have wanted to be part of that movement. The revival doesn't only apply to the music, but also to the attitude of an artist, e.g. being punctual, giving decent interviews and treating people with respect. Dutty Bookman explains that the reggae community in Jamaica is totally different than in Europe and that he sometimes feels more closely related to the European vision than the Jamaican one: "As opposed to differentiating by race, we should differentiate by state of consciousness.". Iba Mahr talks about the unusual way in which he came into contact with Rasta; not through music but through food. He was a big fan of ital food and so the Rasta philosophy reached him through his plate. We hear from Protoje the context in which 'Kingston Be Wise' was written; in 2010, while celebrating Jah9's birthday, they saw how Tivoli Gardens was invaded and the whole of Kingston seemed to be on fire. Reggae singer Lorna Bennett, Protoje's mother, is also present and gets a big up because she has encouraged her son to think critically. Kabaka Pyramid and Protoje were both strongly influenced by hip hop and dancehall in their early years. Therefore they never denounce dancehall as a genre, but they underline the importance of a positive message. If you'd like to know more about this movement, you can visit the website www.reggae-revival.com.   And then it's time for the main stage. On our way we meet some festival goers with green masks, apparently they're here for La Pandilla Voladora. This is a Spanish group, fully decked out in superhero suits including green masks and capes, that brings vibrant reggae with clear flamenco influences.   Then it is time for Protoje with the Indiggnation band. For me it is the third weekend in a row to see the man, and although his performances at Reggae Geel and Reggae Sundance were really powerful, he took it up a notch for Rototom. Is this caused by the enthusiastic audience? "We heard that the Rototom audience has the most vibes, is this true?" There can be no doubt about the answer. We even get a scoop when Kabaka Pyramid comes up on stage to join Protoje to deliver 'Warrior'.   The final performance of the day is brought to us by none other than daddy U Roy. It takes no more than one "Wake the town and tell the people..." to get the public in the mood. U Roy is touched by the fact that there are so many young people in the audience and is honored that his music is still relevant to them. It is clear that the respect is mutual and the audience let themselves be carried along on the verbal virtuosity of the originator. With 'Ok Fred' the pull-up is inevitable, but his newer material is all but neglected. He brings  'Power Of Love' (with Bitty McLean) from his new album 'Pray Fi di People' (his first studio album in 10 years). The show ends with the beautiful clincher 'Soul Rebel'.

Day 3

On Monday we are once again early to reach the Reggae University in time for the session Musical Weapon: The Meaning of Sound Clash with Tony Matterhorn, Ricky Trooper, Carolyn Cooper and Sonjah Stanley Niaah. Prof .Cooper gives us some more background on the soundclash phenomenon: "Clashing is in our psyche, we Jamaicans have an ongoing struggle against oppression and a spirit of rebellion.". The clash is also linked to certain African traditions of verbal conflicts in which symbolic violence is linked to verbal creativity. When Ricky Trooper and Tony Matterhorn address the subject of dub plates, they emphasize that it is often better to voice a tune on a Studio 1 riddim than on a newer riddim. Nowadays, it is easy to order dub plates online without any actual contact with the artist; that's why they appreciate singers like Beres Hammond: "...him mek you come a him yard fi sit dung an reason cuz him love di youth dem!". Tonight Trooper and Matterhorn will compete against each other in the International Soundclash, but the clash has already started here in the Reggae University in a heated discussion about Bounty (Matterhorn) vs. Beenie (Trooper) dub plates. Sonjah Niaah Stanley takes a moment to emphasize that there is a big difference between the symbolic violence of the sound clash and the physical violence on stage like the fight between Kartel and Ninjaman. Niaah gives her opinion about popular music in Jamaica: "If we really want a revolution in Jamaica, we need to turn off the music because it sedates the people like opium!". Matterhorn and Trooper are reminded that there's no cursing allowed during the sound clash, after all this is the love edition. They indicate that the clash is partly real, but also partly fake: "The fans would beat us up if we played gentleman style like Rodigan." And then Ricky Trooper gets emotional: "Mi hate Jamaica! Mi hate di music there an di government! We love di European audience. We are losing the thing we founded!".  And with this, a theme is introduced that will come back time and again this Rototom: Jamaica has no respect for his own music. Foundation artists such as U Roy get the respect they deserve here in Europe while they are neglected in Jamaica. Prof. Cooper explains this as follows: "Poor people culture has become global and upper-class Jamaicans are embarrassed by this.". This is why the Jamaicans who are present are genuinely moved by what they see at Rototom; a festival that, according to them, captures the essence of reggae and respects all genres while placing them in their proper context.   After the Spanish skavibes of Fermin Muguruza, it's time for Gyptian on the main stage. In a pink suit and backed by a Dutch band (Royal Roots Band) he pays homage to the foundation with Culture's 'Jah Jah See Dem A Come' and Gregory Isaacs 'Number One'. He also delivers his own hits like  'Overtime' and 'Wine Slow', but he doesn't really manage to win us over. He always sings but snatches of his songs, intertwined with an annoying screaming sound. Gyptian is a real sweet talker and invariably addresses the ladies in the audience. As a surprise Nitty Kutchie comes to join Gyptian for a while. The set is concluded (as expected) by Gyptian's smash hit 'Hold Yuh'. In the wee hours of the morning we pay a visit the dancehall, but after a seemingly endless wait for the start of the International Soundclash we decide to go to the campsite. The next day we are told that Ricky Trooper has won the clash.

Day 4

The fourth day of the festival starts (surprise surprise) at the Reggae University with a session on Global Reggae. Carolyn Cooper presents her new book 'Global Reggae', a collection of several essays that were presented at the first 'Global Reggae' conference in Jamaica in 2008. Prof. Cooper describes the Jamaican population quite accurately as "...island people with a continental consciousness". Sonjah Stanley Niaah then introduces us to her recently released book 'A Politics of Pilgrimage: Reggae Music and the Movement of Jah People', a reference work about reggae festivals worldwide. Guests Mark Iration, Dan Man, ChaCha and Jubba of Dubtonic Kru are happy to contribute. Jubba indicates that he thinks Jamaica  is no longer 'the capital of reggae'; this role is now being expanded to the entire world. The story of the Chinese reggae singer ChaCha is remarkable, she explains how difficult it is for Chinese to learn about reggae due to internet restrictions. When one day she saw a message from Clive Chin on her MySpace page, she had no idea whatsoever of who the man was!

At the beginning of the evening the main stage is filled with Spanish energy from Fyahbwoy, Iberica All Stars and the beautiful initiative of a number of reggae artists 'Reggae contra la Intolerancia'. The DVD that was recorded about this was distributed in schools across Spain.

After the Spanish chapter it's Mr. Vegas' turn , under the guidance of the French Dub Akom band. To the delight of the audience, he's wearing an 'España' sweater; it's definitely a change from the usual Jamaican flags. Vegas starts out with his earlier work; all the hit riddims of the 90's follow each other in a murderous pace, 'Hot Gal Today', 'Heads High', 'Pull Up'. We don't even have time to applaud: "Tell Rototom they should allow Mr. Vegas two hours next time, since he has too many hit songs for one!". We must give him credits for this; unlike many dancehall artists Vegas does not disappoint live. He sings the songs properly and doesn't break off the lyrics after a few words. With almost every song, he forces the public to a forward. The second segment includes more recent tracks from his 'Sweet Jamaica' album, including  'Sweet Jamaica' and 'Gimme A Light'. Here he also pays tribute to the old school, with a big-up to Dennis Brown, Barrington Levy and Tenor Saw. In the final part of the show the temperature rises again with 'Hot Wuk' and 'Tek Weh yuhself'. The show ends with 'Bruk It Down' (of course with accompanying dancer) and his new track with Beyonce 'Tun Up Tun up'.

Day 5

Manager Copeland Forbes is clearly not a familiar name to the public as there are barely 10 people at the Reggae University to attend his lecture. Quite a shame, because we've known the man for some time and we wouldn't want to miss this storyteller extraordinaire full of delightful reggae treats. As expected, we get one juicy anecdote after another; about his position as the "official car door opener" that allowed him to open the door for Selassie at the airport in '66, about how he shared a tent at a scouts jamboree with the future King Constantine of Greece, about his adventures with Peter Tosh at an African witch doctor, you name it. We are already looking forward to the special tour next year he plans with Marcia Griffiths to celebrate her 50 years in the business and especially to his four-part autobiography that appears next year under the title 'Reggae: My Life Is'.   Bad Gyal Ce'cile has a serious responsibility, along with Nneka she is the only woman on the main stage during the eight days of the festival. She has more than a decade in the business under her belt so she doesn't have to kowtow to the male artists anymore. The first part of the show is dedicated to the men in the audience with hits like 'Goody Goody' and 'Waiting': "I want a rudeboy to take home tonight!" Then the ladies can indulge in what Ce'cile calls the "wining segment". The audience becomes gradually in the right mood and the songs 'Hey' (with Assassin) and 'Gold Dust' are received by some serious jumping action. Ce'cile's answer to Christopher Martin's 'Cheater's Prayer' is another favorite. And then the dancehall diva makes a remarkable statement: "Ce'cile respects the fans, whether you're black, whether you're white, whether you're gay, whether you're straight, Christian, Muslim, catholic, whatever. Big up from Ce'cile. One love we say! You got some very intelligent artist coming out of Jamaica. You need to know who is who and stop blaming everybody for foolishness because some of us don't give a damn. We don't tell people how to live! We respect everybody!". After this "public service announcement", which earned a lot of cheering, Ce'cile sings the chorus of  'One Love' together with the audience.  After her hit 'Hot like we', the show ends with a conscious message to the tones of 'Rise Up'.

The main stage is closed today by none other than Alborosie,obviously with Shengen Clan. Rototom and Alborosie are hard to separate (last year the man could perform twice). The Italian reggae pirate is clearly the crowd's favorite and his hits like 'No Coke', 'Herbalist' and 'Rastafari Anthem' get a lot of response, along with his creative dreadlock demonstrations. He also displays his opera talent, like last year. Until now, no one was allowed to do an encore, but for Puppa Albo an exception is made. He stormed the stage again with 'Police Polizia', 'Kingston Town' and finishes with an emotional 'Free Rototom'.

Day 6

On Thursday, the main stage is inaugurated by Richie Spice. As usual for the first show of the evening, there is no massive turnout, but the vibes are right in the audience when Spice sings hit songs like 'Blood Again' and 'Earth A Run Red'. 'Ghetto Girl' brings about the first pull-up. No idea if it is due to the engineer or the singer, but sometimes it's hard to understand the voice over the music. At the end of the show Richie appealed to us to plant a tree, because it is so nice and green and provides plenty of oxygen. He himself also indicates that he is "...farmer to di fullest". When he then kicks off  'Marijuana', the audience gets what he was talking about. To the tune of 'Di Plane Lan' farmer Spice leaves the stage.

Thursday night it's time to get wild because Busy Signal is in the building, "Hotted!". We saw how he made Reggae Geel explode with 'Bumaye' so we know what to expect. The set of the 'Turf President' is about the same as in Geel and it doesn't fail to excite the Spanish audience in its turn. The early dancehall hits ('Nah Go A Jail', 'Pon Di Edge') are followed by a more intimate lovers segment ('One More Night' 'Come Over'). Busy is also impressed by his audience: "This is amazing, this is vibrant, this is love, this is music. This is why we never forget to give thanks." As expected the crowd explodes with 'Bumaye', on which the 'Turf President' leaves his territory. However, the public does not agree with the end of the show and refuses to go away. The presenters Lampa Dread and Marcus report that, to their great regret, they have to live by the rules of the festival and that the spectators can continue the party at one of the other stages. However, the fans want more Busy, and fueled by the horn machine (big up for the people who drag that thing along every year!), they continue to clap and chant. After a long discussion the curtain eventually closes.

Day 7

Due to missing the bus on Friday we arrive late at the festival site, just in time to see Horace 'Sleepy' Andy, apparently in a in super good mood, leave the stage. Too bad, but as a consolation prize, we still get an encore, announced by Copeland Forbes himself: "Because you are one of the most special audiences, Horace has something special in mind for you!". And so we can still feel a small piece Mr. Andy's mellow vibes with 'Cuss Cuss'. He is also clearly a fan of the horn machine: "I love the horns, give me one more horns before I leave!". Of course, that request was granted with pleasure. Horace was backed by Lloyd Parks & We The People Band, with whom Leroy Sibbles and John Holt will also perform later on.   Nneka is lined-up between Horace Andy, Leroy Sibbles and John Holt on the main stage and is therefore the odd one out. Initially the Rototom massive doesn't really know how to respond to it. Gradually, the audience warms up to Nneka. The songs with a reggae beat clearly get more response than the more soulful tracks.   After a well-deserved break Lloyd Parks & We The People Band are back on stage, this time to accompany Leroy Sibbles. And Lloyd clearly enjoys himself, as he mischievously starts singing: "A lot of boys won't get a girlfriend tonight...", followed by 'Maffia'. And then it's time for another big-up to Rototom: "Rototom, best festival in the world, we love you!". It should  be clear by now that this festival leaves no one untouched. Leroy Sibbles is up next. We haven't heard a lot of lovers this edition, so we gladly welcome the innocent Heptones vibes that Leroy has in store for us. "We're gonna have some fun!", sings Leroy, and judging by the exuberant waving, the public has the same plans. "I and I a di original reggae people, I and I create it. This is the real reggae music!". And we can only agree, as we groove along with the nostalgic Studio 1 riddims. In the second part of the show Leroy demonstrates his abilities on the bass. "A real reggae dat inna di place!" And the reggae fans are grateful.   The magic continues with John Holt, who takes the stage to the tones of 'A Love I Can Feel'. His voice is still in great shape and the parade of timeless classics ('Tide Is High', 'Stick By Me') makes you realize how blessed we are, as reggae fans, to see these legends live on stage. This is the generation that still performs without sunglasses so you can read the emotion on their face. John gets the audience completely on his hand and almost every track gets a forward. The disarming lovers tunes like 'Sweetie Come Brush Me', 'If I Were A Carpenter' and 'I Want To Wear You To The Ball' hit you right in the heart. Or, as John so beautifully expressed: "Heartical! From my heart to your heart, we're showing love to each other." When he finally sings 'Police In Helicopter', the singer is  simply drowned out by the audience. Impressive! This is the real reggae music indeed!

Day 8

This last day of Rototom is fully dedicated to the youngest Marley offspring, who never performed in Spain before. Damian Marley's arrival has been announced for days and when we left the festival grounds at 3am last night, there was a unimaginable queue at the pay desk to obtain a ticket for today. It is remarkably busier on site and there's an exuberant atmosphere of anticipation everywhere. We have never before seen so many people at a reggae festival, which surely creates a special atmosphere. Records will undoubtedly be broken here. Even more special is the fact that the huge audience is also a real reggae audience, as opposed to, for example, a performance at Werchter. The declivity of the terrain allows for a nice view of this impressive scene, the lighting, the smoke and the omnipresent flags. After opening acts Black Am I and Wayne Marshall (both  from Ghetto Youth International) the Gongzilla himself appears on stage. The massive explosion remains off during 'Make It Bun Dem'. On the contrary, the massive is remarkably quiet, it seems like the 35,000 spectators don't believe their eyes and need some time to let it all sink in. All eyes, phones and cameras are fixed on the stage, there isn't even any talking in the audience. Eventually the party explodes: the horn machine starts off and apparently there are people who were able to pass the security with flamethrowers to add to the lyrical fire. Damian has a rare combination of charisma, seriousness and humbleness; his conscious lyrics are emphasized by the ever raising index finger, pensive expression and of course those impressively long dreadlocks spinning about. In addition, he also has that great verbal flow and a touch of huskiness in his voice that lend him authenticity. After an overwhelmingly loud applause he may come back for encores. The show ends with 'Welcome To Jamrock' and the crowd gets wild one last time. When we take a moment to rest on the grass, we hear a group of young Spanish reggae fans talk about how this was one of the best days of their lives. Beautiful, how much this music means to people.

In terms of line-up this Rototom was perhaps not the best edition ever, but the atmosphere on the 'European Reggae Festival' is simply unsurpassable. Before we close, a special big-up to the people of Legal Shot/Black Temple! Last year, these people from Rennes were already present with the Black Temple food stall on the field; this year they had their own mini-festival with shop, food stall, cocktail bar and sound system area. The ital stew of Black Temple is top notch, as well as the cocktail bar (try the Planter's Punch!). In addition, the  frequent parties with Legal Shot Sound system were amazing. We especially remember the time when Shinehead, Solo Banton and Prince Jamo tried to outdo each other on the mic. Such spontaneous surprises definitely add value and show that the artists also genuine love their trade. With Legal Shot everything is done by the same people, the same guy who mixes the records might also mix your cocktail. Respect! Hopefully they'll be back next year! And while we're on the subject; Rototom 2014 will place in Benicassim from the 16th until the 23rd of August. See you all there!!