The late great Bob Marley once said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain.” Well, the greatest Caribbean festival on earth, Reggae Sumfest is encouraging patrons to leave their worries behind and sail off into the moonlight as they
Reggae Sumfest, known for its dynamic musical artistry over the years, has opted to shift from having an international night to focus on showcasing local acts only. Director of the festival Robert Russell had this to say about making the change:
“The deciding factor in changing the festival from international night to only local nights had a lot to do with the high costs for foreign artistes. They’re not making much of their money from record sales, so they choose to charge an arm and a leg here and it’s costing too much. Also, sponsors just aren’t willing to fund that fee either. So after careful consideration, we really thought what better time to promote our reggae and dancehall artists to the world than this year? The rest will go down in history.”
Mix and Mingle
One of the biggest social events of the year has chosen to mix and mingle with their acts as well. Their reason for doing so is simple: to make everyone happy.
“We’re not just catering to one age group. If you like the older music, then you can have that flavour. And if you like younger music, then you can have a taste of that too. The younger people actually like the older music and the older folk would have a better feel of what’s current and hot. So the exposure to both will go across the spectrum and will make for a fantastic affair,” he said.
Speaking of flavour and taste, this festival is about more than just music. Vendors and caterers play a significant role in keeping the patrons not only replenished and refueled but satisfied too. About 10 art and craft and 25 food vendors are already bursting at the seams with excitement as they gear up to cater to your culinary and artistic needs.
Most of them, Russell’s pointed out, return every year, “The money they make from sales at the festival goes directly to sending their children to school, so know that you are supporting a worthy cause. Added bonus: they just love the music! They’re committed to the fest. And people going crazy over their food!
What’s not to rave about? Providing food for approximately 4000 visitors is no easy feat, but they are delighted to do so with a variety of mouthwatering dishes of the local persuasion. Normally, foreigners are expected to partake in pizzas and burgers, and yes, those are available, but according to Russeles ells, “You will be surprised to know that foreigners love our Jamaican food. For them, it’s all about our spices.”
As aromas of the sweet and savory dance and fill the air, patrons will be left with no choice but to surrender to their taste buds and take them on palatable journey with the local dishes on display. These will range from delectable oxtail, tantalizingly tying stew peas, good to the bone curried goat, to the festival’s staple – wholesome chicken, fried to perfection, as well as other styles of chicken, belly filling fried fish and tasty lobster. Salivating yet? They even have scrumptious Ital food for vegetarians.
Jamaicans, Russell’s highlighted, are very serious about their soups, so the mannish water, crayfish soup and other signatures soups are generally a sure fire hit among the locals.
“I personally look forward to breakfast following the festival – the ackee and the corn pork with dumpling and banana. They sell off their food every morning. And it’s just an incredible experience,” Russell’s added.
They’re going to be packing a punch too with their smoothies station of shakes made with wide array fresh fruits – you can always select your combinations to your liking and it’s a known fact that smoothie can be considered a meal in and of itself, so if juices are your preference, enjoy.
Sound explosion
Because Reggae Sumfest is now a two night festival – Friday and Saturday, Sound Explosion is making a comeback, “It promises to be an exceptional night. Powerhouses in the entertainment industry will be selecting a potpourri of music from all genres. You name it, they will play it. So everyone will have an amazing time.”
The all white party too is by far the best all white party Russell’shas ever been to, “When I looked around in the crowd, everyone was dancing and that felt good.” Kurt Riley, DJ Smoke and DJ Kentucky are ready to set the speakers ablaze with hits from the yesteryear up to today.
So what can patrons expect from the new Reggae Sumfest? Russell’s revealed, “Patrons can expect to experience the most enjoyable, exciting, satisfying and rewarding festival that Jamaica will ever see. We’re pulling out all the stops to make this year a special one. It’s about our music, our festival and I’d like to add our friends: They are looking forward to it with great anticipation and we will not disappoint.”
