One Love | One Passion – Reggae Reflection features top quality Reggae Photos & Reggae News Items relevant to the current music scene. Reggae Reflection highlights key artists and notable events of interest from around the Globe.
British reggae godfather David Rodigan had a number of anniversaries to celebrate last night: the Rototom Sunsplash Festival is 25, his career has been going for 40 and this is, by his informed count, the 50th year that what we know as reggae music has been made. Last night his collaboration with the 28-piece Outlook Orchestra managed to wrap all those into one astounding 90-minute set.
The band opened with some Skatalites selections before Bitty McLean bounded on stage for “Simmer Down” while Hollie Cook offered “My Boy Lollipop,” the song that introduced Rodigan to Jamaican music. For the rocksteady segment there was Sharlene Hector singing “Perfidia” with a beautiful string introduction while Kevin Mark Trail revisited the sounds of Alton Ellis.
Kiko Bun entered with “Police and Thieves” as the set list turned to roots and culture. Bitty sang a majestically orchestred “Satta Massagna” before Kiki brought this up to the current era with “Ganja Farmer.”
Then it was dancehall time as Tippa Irie sang “Heads High” and “Murder She Wrote.” One wouldn’t think these tunes would need a giant string and horn section, but the arrangements added drama without every being bombastic. The set ended with a taste of drum and bass before the orchestra performed “Redemption Song” and encored with “No No No.”
Watch Tippa Irie at Rototom
Rodigan addresses the Reggae University Panel
Speaking the next day Rodigan told a Reggae University panel that his show was a response of the growing practice of reggae artists only singing small portions of their songs. “We’ve seen the music condensed and shortened. We wanted to document these songs and the importance of these artists, many of whom have passed away. I believe that hype over substance does not stand up to close scrutiny.”
Rodigan’s wide-ranging interview mentioned his interviews with Bob Marley as well as his love-hate relationship with clashing, a “musical boxing match” scene he left when he found selector insults had become “demeaning and disgraceful.” Rodigan said he’s been convinced to return to clashing with the hope that he can bring entertainment back into the clash world.
Asked how a non-Jamaican became such an important figure in reggae, Rodigan explained that “I don’t try to be a Jamaican. I am myself. Humility is key.”
Rodigan and the Outlook Orchestra provided a climatic finish to a night that started with
Andrew Tosh entering the stage on a unicycle before singing both his own originals and all the Peter Tosh classics with a band led by the UK riddim twins Mafia and Fluxy.
Kabaka Pyramid dedicates “Borders” to all those impacted by the refugee crisis
With so many veterans singing their classics at the fest there hasn’t been a lot of political commentary, but that changed during Kabaka Pyramid’s set, which drew heavily from his new LP “Kontraband.” Pyramid dedicated “Borders” to all those impacted by the refugee crisis, stating that “everyone deserves a place to call their own.” It touched on a topic that has also been addressed daily at the festival’s Social Forum. The song hit home in Spain which has struggled mightily with the issue of how to accept and treat refugees — and at a festival where it seemed that the few patrons being interrogated by the local police force were inevitably men of color.
The smaller stages continued to yield delights, as the quirky Elephant Tiny Obsession played Afro art-rock at the African Village. The largest crowd I’ve ever seen at the Lion Stage came out for
