Technical Rastafari
Last night was definitely the best one for music so far. Four hugely differing acts took to the main stage and three of them were really good.
Starting at 6pm were the Brazilian group Olodum, whose style I can only describe as a unique form of world fusion. With a full samba rhythm section of nine individual drummers, the beats coming out were utterly danceable. The use of reggae-style vocals and chord patterns, as well as Latin horn section arrangements, created an exotic cocktail of musical ingredients from across the globe. I don't have much time to write more now, but I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for this band and I recommend anyone with an open ear to check them out.
Second on the main stage was General Degree, an emerging dancehall artist from Jamaica. A couple of his tunes managed to get the crowd going, but in my opinion his style was closer to commercial hip-hop than any kind of reggae music. This was particularly notable from his lyrics and the apparent love of gripping his own crotch during songs, with the microphone in the other hand. Maybe this guy needs to get a degree in musical enlightenment. And one other thing: why do so many groups adopt the habit of making false starts to tunes, before doing a rewind and starting again? Degree did this at least five times and so have many other bands over the last few days. I can see what they're trying to do in building up suspense, but when people start dancing and then have to stop after a few seconds it can really shatter the mood.
The final two acts - Zion Train and the Easy Star All Stars - are definitely among my favourite performances so far. I finally managed to find an ounce of satisfaction at my nationality following the performance of Zion Train, as this dub/dance outfit hails from the UK. Their set took quite a long time to get going, largely due to technical difficulties at the very beginning, but the combination of alternating vocalists with a DJ laying the foundations and a live two-piece horn section was perfectly formulated. Typically their songs began with a couple of layers in dub, building up the atmosphere before heavier beats set in. I'm definitely going to try and get hold of some of their material back at home.
The Easy Star All Stars, coming from New York City, famously play reggae cover versions of well-known albums. To date they have released Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread - covers of Pink Floyd and Radiohead respectively. Last night they showcased material from both discs, which I have heard in snippets before, and had the people dancing for the whole show. For me it was great to see a little more space given to instrumental solos than is normal - the guitar, keyboard, trombone and sax players all had opportunities to break out. My expectations for this act had been high and they were definitely fulfilled.
Tonight sees four more groups: Moonraisers, Ras Charmer, Warrior King and Tony Rebel. I haven't had much time to check out information, but Moonraisers look like an interesting band and the last two names are pretty big in the world of reggae. So hopefully it's going to be another good one.
Starting at 6pm were the Brazilian group Olodum, whose style I can only describe as a unique form of world fusion. With a full samba rhythm section of nine individual drummers, the beats coming out were utterly danceable. The use of reggae-style vocals and chord patterns, as well as Latin horn section arrangements, created an exotic cocktail of musical ingredients from across the globe. I don't have much time to write more now, but I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for this band and I recommend anyone with an open ear to check them out.
Second on the main stage was General Degree, an emerging dancehall artist from Jamaica. A couple of his tunes managed to get the crowd going, but in my opinion his style was closer to commercial hip-hop than any kind of reggae music. This was particularly notable from his lyrics and the apparent love of gripping his own crotch during songs, with the microphone in the other hand. Maybe this guy needs to get a degree in musical enlightenment. And one other thing: why do so many groups adopt the habit of making false starts to tunes, before doing a rewind and starting again? Degree did this at least five times and so have many other bands over the last few days. I can see what they're trying to do in building up suspense, but when people start dancing and then have to stop after a few seconds it can really shatter the mood.
The final two acts - Zion Train and the Easy Star All Stars - are definitely among my favourite performances so far. I finally managed to find an ounce of satisfaction at my nationality following the performance of Zion Train, as this dub/dance outfit hails from the UK. Their set took quite a long time to get going, largely due to technical difficulties at the very beginning, but the combination of alternating vocalists with a DJ laying the foundations and a live two-piece horn section was perfectly formulated. Typically their songs began with a couple of layers in dub, building up the atmosphere before heavier beats set in. I'm definitely going to try and get hold of some of their material back at home.
The Easy Star All Stars, coming from New York City, famously play reggae cover versions of well-known albums. To date they have released Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread - covers of Pink Floyd and Radiohead respectively. Last night they showcased material from both discs, which I have heard in snippets before, and had the people dancing for the whole show. For me it was great to see a little more space given to instrumental solos than is normal - the guitar, keyboard, trombone and sax players all had opportunities to break out. My expectations for this act had been high and they were definitely fulfilled.
Tonight sees four more groups: Moonraisers, Ras Charmer, Warrior King and Tony Rebel. I haven't had much time to check out information, but Moonraisers look like an interesting band and the last two names are pretty big in the world of reggae. So hopefully it's going to be another good one.
posted by Frederick at 15:51
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