Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

[Dyoll_73]

<span style="font-size: 17pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts</span>
</span>
Sunday, July 05, 2009

In the world of entertainment, reggae festivals are big business. Some 60 reggae festivals will be held worldwide in the month of July, but Jamaican acts make up only about 25 per cent of the line-up, with the other 75 per cent being foreign acts who have made their name doing reggae music.
Anthony B will be making stops in Italy and Germany during his tour.

In fact, seven reggae festivals do not even have a single Jamaican act with eight having only one.

Jamaican acts don't have a monopoly on the genre, according to an organiser of one of Europe's largest reggae festivals - SummerJam.

Read the rest of the article in the Sunday Observer <span style="font-weight: bold">HERE</span>.

[maureenp]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

Are Jamaicans attending these reggae festivals?

[SistahD]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mep</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Are Jamaicans attending these reggae festivals? </div></div>


My experience (here) shows the turnout percentage will depend on the locale and based on the percentage within the general population, and the reputation/quality of the event


ie Ottawa - +35% Jamaican 65% other

Montreal - 60% Jamaican, 40% other

Toronto - 85% Jamaican, 15% other


The costs involved in hosting these events (here) are such that running a full day schedule for 10-12 hours (with Jamaican artists) would not be financially feasible, plus the funding they may receive requires them to promote 'Canadian' talent in order to qualify for some of the funding, PLUS the costs involved to bring a Jamaican artist (fees, expenses and 'extras' tend to be quite high... so the promoters run local based Jamaican or non-JA talent for the daytime hours and then bring on the artists after 6pm (until 11pm roughly).

[diabolical_Tanya]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

yes what SistahD said, same for here in Calgary.

[britisha]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

I must be biased, but *I* could never go to a &quot;Reggae Festival&quot; without any Reggae artist.

I'd prefer to go to a Rock concert...but then, that's me.

[diabolical_Tanya]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: britisha</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I must be biased, but *I* could never go to a &quot;Reggae Festival&quot; without any Reggae artist.

I'd prefer to go to a Rock concert...but then, that's me. </div></div>who said there werent any reggae artists? there are but it's just that most of them are not home grown reggae artists. one year at the Calgary reggae fest there was a reggae band from mexico, they didnt speak a lick of english other than the Bob marley lyrics

[britisha]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Diabolical_Tanya</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: britisha</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I must be biased, but *I* could never go to a &quot;Reggae Festival&quot; without any Reggae artist.

I'd prefer to go to a Rock concert...but then, that's me. </div></div>who said there werent any reggae artists? there are but it's just that most of them are not home grown reggae artists. one year at the Calgary reggae fest there was a reggae band from mexico, they didnt speak a lick of english other than the Bob marley lyrics </div></div>

Clarification: &quot;yawd grown Reggae artists.&quot;

[diabolical_Tanya]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

well me going to see Beres at our reggae festival an mi noh biziniz who else dem fill di time wid before him come on

[britisha]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Diabolical_Tanya</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> well me going to see Beres at our reggae festival an mi noh biziniz who else dem fill di time wid before him come on </div></div>

I think he'll be here on July 17th; a weekday, mi might ketch dah show...mi noh know...indoors.

[SistahD]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: britisha</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Clarification: &quot;yawd grown Reggae artists.&quot; </div></div>


Most of those acts we will classify as 'local artists' will be Jamaican and/or Caribbean born but living in various parts of Canada, and they will fill the earlier parts of the show. The &quot;yawd grown Reggae artists&quot; (international artists) will perform during the main part of the show -in the evening. (and will collectively cost the promoters roughly $100K)


When the Montreal Festival first started, they also wanted to give recognition to various artists from different parts of the world, who were performing reggae-and performing well -they were here as 'fillers' performing for the 'free' concerts, opening acts etc. But you are right... I'm not paying to see local talent either.

On the 25th I'm going to a Jamaica Day celebration in Toronto - with Beres, Culture, Sparrow (?), Percy Sledge (?), Nadine Sutherland, Keyz, Barbee, Terri Salmon, and Professor Nuts... the afternoon acts include 19 others, locals but all of Jamaican or Caribbean descent.


I have seen ads for festivals across the western US which list a lot of names - never heard before, nor any idea where they originated from, and nothing to encourage my interest nor attendance.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Humano</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 17pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts</span>
</span>
Sunday, July 05, 2009<span style="font-weight: bold">HERE</span>. </div></div>

Remind I of recent conversation on the board that touched on exploiting cultural and other items of Jamaican vintage.

[Derek]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

<span style="font-style: italic">I bet there weren't many Jamaicans at these festivals:</span>

Limpopo Reggae Sunsplash Saturday, March 21st 2009 Limpopo Province South Africa

Puerto Galera Reggae Festival Saturday, April 11th 2009 Puerto Galera Philippines

Unite In Paradise - Reggae Festival Saturday-Tuesday, May 16th-19th 2009 Olympos Turkey

Wroc Love Summer Stage Saturday, June 27th - Wednesday, December 31st 2009 Wroclaw Poland

Reggus 2009 Saturday, July 4th - Wednesday, December 31st 2009 Tarragona Spain

<span style="font-weight: bold">Weedbeat Festival</span> Friday-Sunday, June 19th-21st 2009 Rössing / Hildesheim Germany
<span style="font-style: italic">couldn't they think of a better name?</span>

[Dyoll_73]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Humano</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 17pt"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts</span>
</span>
Sunday, July 05, 2009<span style="font-weight: bold">HERE</span>. </div></div>

Remind I of recent conversation on the board that touched on exploiting cultural and other items of Jamaican vintage. </div></div>

which is why I posted this article.

The reality is that while reggae has its birth in Jamaica; it became a global expression, and as we were saying in that thread, the circumstances in which reggae was born, are not unique to Jamaica and Jamaicans.

Reggae is a gift to the world, so we can no longer claim to own it, or even to think that only music created in Jamaica by Jamaicans is authentic.

[britisha]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

Well, to each his/her own.

I have a &quot;gift&quot; of being able to identify Reggae music whey noh originate fram yaawd...Even hiff smaddie wake me in the dead of night and play &quot;music&quot; and ask whedda a yaawd music ar nat..I can tell.

...and mi nat talking about di vocals as much as the instrumental[s]..

Call mi prejudice but a juss soh mi stay; an mi nat spendding noh money fi go hear non-yaawd music...in fact mi wuddn't even go fi free..

btw...what are the &quot;circumstances&quot; under which Reggae was born? Let's hear it!!

[Dyoll_73]

Re: Reggae festivals nudge out Jamaican acts

By that I'm referring to the social and political environment in which reggae had its origin (it developed from rock-steady and ska) - the political upheavals, a national consciousness, injustice, poverty, increased urbanization, an atmosphere of creativity, etc