By Kevin McMahon
The 29th edition of the Rototom Sunsplash festival took place in Benicassim, Castelló, Spain, from August 16th to 21st last. Comprised of eight stages with about 130 shows, a dozen ‘extramusical’ activity areas, a mesmerising market and an outdoor food court – with about 30 gastronomic options – and numerous other delights and distractions, it was truly impossible to savour all of this fine festival’s offerings. Cast under the aspirational theme of ‘The Power of Utopia’ (or a ‘hymn to hope .. underpinned by values of peace, respect, solidarity and sustainability’), it must be said that this festival did come quite close to the Utopian state! This year’s edition drew more than 200.000 people from 113 countries to the festival grounds.
The huge attendance was spoiled by Rototom’s extensive musical menu. It spanned the Main Stage, the impressive Lion Stage (that welcomed back Midnite from Santa Cruz and Africa’s Mo’Kalamity), the Dancehall area and the (sensibly relocated) Dub Academy, that played host to an array of international sound system celebrities.
And for those overdosing on the musical injections, there was sweet relief on offer via the cleverly crafted artisan market and the innovative and acrobatic Magicmundo Circus Show. There was also a Discovery Lab space (linked to the reputable CERN research centre) dedicated to science, Afro-modern dance sessions at the Jamkunda stage, a dedicated Teen Yard with basketball tournaments, a Social Art Gallery, some informative inputs from the socially-conscious NGOs, a revered and righteous House of Rastafari and a ‘Pachamama’ area for the ‘back to nature’ oriented and those keen to reconnect with Mother Earth. Alternately, you could avail of the yoga sessions, regenerative agriculture, and tai chi workshops, the Social Forum or the Reggae University, all serving to leave the assembly spoiled for choice. And it would be remiss not to record the ‘eight stage’ at the Solé Rototom Reggae Beach, located on the Gurugú beach in Castelló with its booming sound systems and all-important bus connection to the nearby festival site.
It is also a huge credit to the festival’s organisers that they can cater for non-attendees, via an excellent streaming service option of the big acts appearing on the Main and Lion stages and of the Social Forum and Reggae University sessions. This is all courtesy of the festival’s impressive high-tech YouTube channel. And if that doesn’t fill your cup, there is always the constantly running Radio Rototom, with a legion of dynamic DJs successfully serving to keep all parties in the picture as to what’s going on across the huge festival site.
Truth be told, this festival’s character is best reflected in its colourful mix of markets, restaurants, bars and cafes. For example, the ~20,000 campers on the site have immediate access to coffees, cocktails, crepes, cakes, kebabs, natural fruits, frites, pizza, fish, lasagne, tacos, burgers, ices, and sweet spreads! Alongside these stalls, festival-goers can shop for buttons, beads, bracelets, bangles, bags, belts or even sandals, shoes, skirts and scarves. Failing that, some stalls offered lampshades, lighters, hats, glasses, perfumes, earrings and even outdoor ornaments! In fact, there is more on offer at this Spanish reggae Sunsplash market than any large tribe could possibly get through in a lifetime!
By the time this reviewer arrived at Rototom, Alpha Blondy, Busy Signal, Black Uhuru, Romain Virgo, Skarra Mucci, Marcus Gad, Skip Marley, Groundation, the Congos and many more had made their mark and departed the scene.
This set the stage for another batch of reggae superstars, with Alborosie, Bad Manners, Beenie man, Midnite, Johnny Clarke, Etana, the Wailers, Twinkle Brothers, Green Valley, and Iration Steppas (amongst many more) still to come. Highlights from this selection included the experienced Buster Bloodvessel (of Bad Manners) rendition of ‘My Boy Lollipop’, Alborosie’s 2-hour plus show that included almost all of his classic compositions including the ever-popular ‘Herbalist’ – so, there was no disappointment there. On the same night, ‘Midnite’ a tribute to Vaughn Benjamin, drew a decent attendance to its deep roots conscious reggae show from the Lion Stage, whilst DJ Kybba kept the Dancehall area hopping until five o’clock in the morning!
On the following night the Main stage was warmed up by Johnny Clarke and the Dub Asante band, going ‘old school’, before Etana swooned her many admirers with a varied set, largely built around the many shades of love that affect and afflict the human heart. The mainly Spanish audience was delighted to then welcome Chambao, with their electronic flamenco music, before the Wailers gave us the full suite from the immortal ‘Legend’ album. Then it was over to General Levy in the Dancehall area, keeping tiredness at bay with some seamless sounds inna ragga style.
The festival’s final night’s offerings characteristically spanned the full range of what is called reggae. The Main Stage played host to the everlasting Twinkle Brothers, with Norman present and correct, giving full vent to a fine repertoire, including the righteous ‘Repent’ and ‘Jahovia’. Around the same time Tommy Cowan’s daughter Naomi was enhancing her bulging reputation on the Lion Stage, with formidable vocal skills and a commanding stage presence. Cowan’s set opened lively with ‘Baba Boom’, before she gave top throttle to ‘Kingston Traffic’. Shortly afterwards, the Spanish connection that is Green Valley got an audience eruption or two, as they blasted through a set celebrating their 20th anniversary. But the night’s final show from the Main Stage stole the plum, as Beenieman urged all to ‘don’t worry, be happy’, before the cake was brought on stage, allowing him celebrate his birthday with adoring fans.
After 15 years in Spain, this year’s Rototom Sunsplash edition was shrunk to 6 days – a pale comparison with the 11 days’ duration of the last ever edition to be held in Osoppo, Udine, Italy back in 2009. Yet it remains a remarkable extravaganza for a standalone venture, competing in the live music jungle … and all done without sponsorship. This is no mean feat, as it is probably not only the biggest but the best festival catering for reggae enthusiasts on the planet. Long after its first patrons from 29 years ago have passed on, this festival will continue to roll, serving up reggae’s best and brightest. And the promise is that next year’s 30-year celebration will surpass anything that Rototom’s audience has seen before, via an extended duration and a glittering lineup. Bring it on, we say.
