Reggae omnipresent at AFRO-LATINO FESTIVAL

Sugar Charly, Silverbullit, Raggamuffin' Whitman, Bong Productions, High Grade, TLP: respect to the Beljam massive for 3 amazing days in the Island Jam. With help from a few foreign friends of course (Pow Wow, Supersonic, Warrior Sound, Jugglerz, and from Jamaica 'lyric millionaire' Skarra Mucci) But our boys did not have to feel inferior, on the contrary. Put High Grade in prime time and they will raise the roof just as much as Reggaebash from Stuttgart, to name 2 sets we saw.

We had to wait until Saturday night for the first live reggae performance. 'She's more than a sex machine/The woman is a human being': it was not the only message in the concert by Macka B. He got the crowd to massively sing along to 'Legalize it' and other paeans of weed ('Ganja lady') which he cherishes so much. This is of course how we know the Lyrics Teacher for 30 years, a conscious artist with a fully developed sense of humour. Musically or textually he didn't really evolve through time, but you could say the same of many artists, even outside the world of reggae. They have the right, and yes, even the duty to keep performing their pioneerswork and thus making younger generations aware of the rich reggae history.

It was close to midnight by the time Busy Signal came up on stage. He got a big hit thanks to Major Lazor with 'Watch out for this(Bumayé)'(which was also played in the sets by reggaetonhero Daddy Yankee on Friday) and he is recognized as one of the most important and talented reggae-and dancehallartist of his generation.  Busy's music is not really my cup of tea, i've gotten a bit too old, but i can really fully enjoy the shows. An amazing band, tongtwisting (speed)raps, influences by soca, latin and hiphop, sing along covers like 'one more time' (Phil Collins) and 'Nightshift'(Commodores). And all of this at a blistering pace, even when the rhythm slowed down to the slower riddims from the classic album 'Reggae Music Again'. 'Me nah go a jail again' will always have a special meaning to Busy and his fans.

Het Belang van Limburg (local newspaper) wrote that Busy Signal does not yet reach the level of Jimmy Cliff. That is like saying Elbow doesn't get to the level of The Beatles. His band was still playing while Busy Signal was already on his way back to the hotel, to return to Jamaica the next morning after an exhausting European tour. At the end of the festival season, Busy Signal will return to Belgium once more to play at Feest in het Park.

On Sunday the main act was soccer. Belgium-Russia was projected onto a large screen at the main stage for a massive crowd. On the second stage (Hakuna Matata) there was one band more programmed.In the other tensts the program just kept on going, next to the Island Jam there were dance lessons and tropical Djs in the Hacienda. Roots Riders featuring Michel Brunings (second in the Voice of Holland 2013) got to bring life to the party after the match with a selection of Bob Marley sing alongs, with the emphasis on the albums 'survival' and 'legend'. We also ate well at Afro-Latino and there was a magnificent play-and climb village for the kids. We also visited the cosy enclosed world market. But most of all, we never had to queue, not even for drink tickets of the WC. Pure niceness & happiness.