Friday 10 August
Publication date : Tuesday, August 21st 2007 - 107 060 views Reggae Sundance 2007
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This year, Reggae Sundance treated itself to two big events. The 2007 vintage will go down in the annals as the one that hosted Jah Cure's first concert after eight years in prison. Confirmed at the very last moment (he had been released a fortnight earlier), Jah Cure crowned a packed line-up concentrated over 3 days. New for this eleventh edition was the festival's move from the Genneperparken to the superb E3 Strand site. The photo on the official site was no lie: there really is a beach at Eersel.
It is a Sundance habit: hostilities start at the campsite. This year it was none other than Queen Ifrica, Beenie Man and Buju Banton who were due to welcome the first festival-goers. The King of Dancehall's visit was finally cancelled and was made up for by Anthony B. At the campsite entrance, an immense crowd pressed around the only two ticket booths. It took several hours for everyone to get onto the site, after a thorough search. Like many others, we were deprived of Queen Ifrica's concert. A pity, as we would gladly have seen again the charming and energetic protégée of Tony Rebel, who was scheduled for the next day. We even reached the huge tent when Anthony B was already on stage. Well filled, the tent was still far from full, and judging by the number of people we passed pitching their tents, many people would also miss the Fireman's show. The atmosphere was there all the same, and the show, very similar to all those of his summer tour, though a little longer, had no trouble delighting the crowd. Towards the end, Good cop, bad cop, God above everything and of course Police finished off the unleashed crowd, and Anthony B left the stage to a veritable ovation.
Buju Banton is indeed the most eagerly awaited artist of the night. But it is his new protégé, New Kidz, in charge of warming up the room, who precedes Gargamel on stage. His entrance on his big hit Hotta set a gal lit the touch paper perfectly, but the young deejay's hardcore dancehall segments left the crowd undecided, preferring his handful of more reggae songs. The similarities in singing style with Buju Banton are astonishing. A quarter of an hour to do his job, and New Kidz left the stage to make way for the master of ceremonies.
Festival-goers kept streaming into the already packed tent, where the temperature was visibly rising. Everyone crowded in for what was to be the event of the night. After an intro worthy of an American-style show, Buju burst out full of energy on a medley of his old dancehall tunes. Gal you look good, The only man, Up, close and personal, Sha la la, the hits followed one another without a break. Champion served as a transition to the reggae segment, and there again, it was an avalanche: Hills and valleys, Magic city, Not an easy road, every song hit home and the crowd was fired up. But Gargamel was far from finished. In Olympic form and with an impeccable voice, he began the last part of the show, devoted to his more recent material, notably the dancehall singles from his latest album, "Too Bad": Hey boy and Me and oonu. And it was of course on his recent hit Driva that he received the biggest forward. It had been a little while since we had seen Buju Banton, and we have rarely heard him so effective and so tight. A band running perfectly and irreproachable backing singers added to the impression of great professionalism that came across in this long, trouble-free show. Buju Banton has nothing left to prove, and this first Friday night at Reggae Sundance was well and truly his.
The temperature under the tent did not let up. Soundquake took over in front of a crowd that was still large. The German sound system, playing almost at home, kicked off at full speed a warlike set that never flagged.
Report written by Sébastien Jobart & Alexandre Tonus
Tags : Anthony B (121), Singing Melody (11), Tony Rebel (40), Jah Mason (72), Buju Banton (133), Capleton (135), Gregory Isaacs (44), Yellowman (15), Luddy (5), Jah Cure (86), Natural Black (18), Midnite (73), Marcia Griffiths (38), Lutan Fyah (68), Gyptian (88), Tarrus Riley (137), Queen Ifrica (67), Jimmy Cliff (47), Bunny Wailer (46), Festivals 2007 (20)
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Saturday 11 August
Publication date : 08-21-2007 
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LUST
You could not afford to be late if you did not want to miss anything of the exceptional line-up Reggae Sundance offered this year: from 1pm, the all-too-rare quartet LUST, in their first appearance in Europe, opened the day. We discovered the site in daylight. The rain, which had fallen heavily the day before, turning parts of the campsite into a muddy bog, had given way to broad, brilliant sunshine. Just what we had been hoping for to make the most of the layout: an artificial pond runs alongside the festival site and the campsite. Its beach, laid out right next to the stage, proved ideal for passing the time during the long changeovers between artists (while Roundbeat Hi Fi handled the musical transition on the turntables), or even for taking a dip to the sound of reggae.
Once the Gumption band, tasked with backing a good part of the festival's shows, had set up, the quartet of Lukie D., Singing Melody, Tony Curtis and Thriller U began their show with a few of their joint tunes (Run free on the Zion gate riddim, Brotherly love on the Tribal war, and the more recent She got me on the Halfway tree). The rest of the concert was genuinely interesting, as each of the singers took turns performing songs from his own repertoire, supported by the other three. Lukie D. was literally overexcited and very quickly emerged as the leader. It was he who opened the ball with Stand up firm, immediately followed by Tony Curtis with his Bless me on the same riddim, then by Thriller U and his cover of World a music. The latter followed with his No dominion on the He speaks riddim.. Behind the imposing Lukie D. and Singing Melody, Thriller U. was more discreet than his companions: we only heard two of his songs, Mortal man on the Smarties riddim and I'll prove it to you on the Things and time. Lukie D. and Tony Curtis treated us to their biggest hits (So long, Sincerely I swear, Kill another sound, Girl I know for the former, Jah I thank you, Rolling, Why you bad mind so for the latter), while Singing Melody and his crystal voice made the ladies swoon (Let it flow, Say what and above all Back for good, an irresistible cover of Take That). A cover of Bob Marley's Could you be loved, not exactly essential, served as the conclusion to this long concert. LUST have not stolen their reputation; these four are indeed among the finest voices in Jamaica.
 GYPTIAN
Another event of this second day of the festival, the young singer Gyptian made one of his first appearances in Europe. The crowd, especially the women, grew larger. Mixed in with a few lesser-known songs from his album (You never know, Take my money), all the singer's hits were played (Is there a place, Mama, My fadda say). It is striking to note the difference in Gyptian's timbre between the spoken and sung parts of his concert, and even if his distinctive voice was there, his show lacked animation. As did the crowd, which stayed a little limp and passive. Even Serious times did not get the forward it was hoping for, and it was rather Beng beng that the crowd acclaimed. On Beautiful lady, passions ran wild. Unfortunately, that was the last tune, and despite the jubilation, it was Elise Kelly, presenter on Irie FM and mistress of ceremonies, who came back on stage to announce what was next, blaming the pressure of time.
NATURAL BLACK
 Next up, then, was Natural Black. Very energetic and charismatic, he burst onto the stage and ran through his tunes without a break, some older (Conquer dem, Bad mind, Songs with feeling), others more recent (High grade, Can't mix intelligence, Get me mad). Just time to take an enormous forward on Far from reality, and the young Guyanese singjay was already starting his last tune, an Africa from his latest album on Greensleeves, "Jah Guide", a bit limp for a proper stage exit. Elise Kelly had not lied to us: time was indeed pressing, and Natural Black's performance ended after barely more than half an hour, in direct competition with Gyptian for the shortest show of the festival. A pity, as the crowd finally seemed to be waking up a little and the singer was, it seemed, beginning to enjoy himself.
 YELLOWMAN
Yellowman will soon be 50 and has a tired voice, but above all energy to spare. Since the 1980s and his unchanging Mad Over Me, he has made his mark with an unforgettable face, marked by his albinism, but above all with his sense of irony. Yellowman is quite simply the pioneer of the eccentric personalities who would follow in the mould of Elephant Man. That is what he gave us on stage, piling up vocal improvisations and gesticulating in every direction. Yellowman is also very good at the "stationary runner". Showmanship, we tell you. It shows in the singing and the wheezy choruses too, but the Sagitarius Band backing him ran smoothly and at full throttle. Several covers dotted his performance (What A Bam Bam, 54-46), but it was of course with his mega hit Zungguzunggugguzungguzeng that he got the best reception from the crowd.
TONY REBEL
 It is not the first time we have had the chance to see Tony Rebel this summer, and even though his show has not changed one iota, it is always a good time. Identical in every respect to his Paris show opening for Sizzla, the concert went off without a hitch, even if the Rebel's voice seemed a touch tired (nothing surprising after a tour lasting several weeks). In Holland as in France, he once again performed his French version of If Jah: you would think he had been told about the staggering proportion of French speakers in the audience. The real bonus for the show was the reappearance of Queen Ifrica at the side of her lifelong mentor, who, for the length of a superb and energetic Wipe the tears on the Roots tonic riddim, came to set the crowd ablaze and make many regret once more not having seen her the day before.
 Tarrus Riley
Another performance we were waiting for with eager anticipation was Tarrus Riley's, son of the legendary Jimmy of the same name and a rising star in Jamaica. Scheduled as the opening act for Marcia Griffiths, the singer could only perform a handful of tunes, but that was enough to appreciate the talent and the promise for the future of this still young singer. The enormous Beware and the perfect rendition of his hit She's royal before he left the stage finished off our frustration. We would gladly have heard more.
MARCIA GRIFFITHS
 Added late to the programme, Marcia Griffiths's presence was no small event for all that. This great lady of reggae walked out in front of an already won-over crowd. Dressed as always like a gift-wrapped present, she appeared in great form, despite 40 years of career spanning the rocksteady years with Bob Andy and the reggae years as one of Marley's backing singers. As daylight faded, Dreamland rang out before As long as I live, Let me hold you tight, the cover of No no no and also the more recent Back In The Days from 2004. Her time among the I Threes at Bob Marley's side made a few of his songs inevitable, so we were treated once more to Could you be loved, then Redemption song, largely sung by the crowd, and even Forever loving Jah, which she launched into, backed by Tony Rebel, who came to join her for the end of her show in memory of their great Penthouse era. A show every bit as frustrating as the previous one: Marcia slipped away after a good half hour. Just when the crowd finally seemed white-hot.
 Jimmy Cliff
This time, the site was full. Jimmy Cliff's popularity, despite or thanks to a trajectory that has taken him far from his beginnings, was confirmed in front of a large, family crowd in which the generations mingled. If the hero of the film "The Harder They Come" walked on stage with the cheerful horns of You can get it if you really want, the show then narrowed to his international hits, on the borderline of pop. So we could not escape Oh La La La, Reggae Night or Hakuna Matata. Which, evidently, was far from displeasing the crowd, who gave him a very warm welcome. We even got a cover of Cat Stevens, Wild World. For a moment, his concert took on a slight political tinge: "Tell Bush and Blair that we don't want another Vietnam" he dropped before launching into the opening bars of Vietnam. We soon returned to his hits that the whole crowd could sing along to (which it did): Many Rivers to Cross, I can see clearly now, Rivers of Babylon. In great form, Jimmy Cliff even allowed himself to cover Elephant Man. For the fans from the very beginning, he played Miss Jamaica, but not The Harder They Come or Sitting in Limbo. A pity, even if Jimmy Cliff reminded us of the importance of his musical heritage: whether you like them or not, everybody knows his choruses.
Bunny Wailer
 Between his appearance at Ja'Sound last year and the Made in Jamaica tour this spring, Bunny Wailer went in a single year from rare artist to omnipresent. The man who never travels without his band Solomic House would not, however, give us the same show. Unlike Ja'Sound, where roots reigned supreme, he did not walk on stage with Rastaman Chant but with Simmer Dow: a sign of a show devoted to Wailers covers, like the Made in Jamaica tour? Not quite. Keep On Moving, I'm the toughest, Hypocrites, then Trenchtown Rock and Nice Time served merely as an introduction. After half an hour of concert, he took the microphone: "From 1964 to 1974, the Wailers wailed together. Then the Wailers split up and carried on solo. Jah Bunny Wailer released an album, "Blackheart Man"." And off he went into the essential Fight Against Corruption, then Rastaman, Armagideon, and the title track Blackheartman, Dreamland... Enough, already! After more than an hour and a half of concert, Bunny Wailer had fully lived up to his status as headliner, and treated his fans. They had to make the most of it: after all, we do not know whether we will see him again next year or in five years.
For the most hardy, the night continued at the campsite with the Necessary Mayhem Crew from England, who turned out in force: Brinsley Forde, ex-Aswad in great form that night, Sweetie Irie, and YT were there to keep them going until the middle of the night.
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Sunday 12 August
Publication date : 08-21-2007
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 MIDNITE
Can Midnite be properly appreciated in broad daylight? That was the question we asked ourselves before seeing them step onto the boards at 2.30pm. The band we first discovered on stage in Europe in the night of Ja Sound 2005 were the third act on today. The mood was international reggae: from 1pm, the Italians Franziska and the Americans Soldiers of Jah Army had kicked off the afternoon with their tonic reggae, ideal as an introduction. But the exact opposite of the St Croix outfit, who preach musical purity and the litany of words. Midnite ultimately started with a double handicap: a shortfall of audience (slow to gather in front of the stage), and of darkness. In the middle of the day, under an overcast sky, the mysticism is undeniably less obvious. But the hypnotic sound of Benjamin Vaughn and his accomplices still hit the mark. As the site gradually filled, the heavy bass and Vaughn's haunting phrasing took effect. Sometimes too much so, as the bass in the mix overpowered all the other instruments. But many were happy to be lulled by the syncopated hypnosis of the St Croix group. An hour-long performance was enough for Midnite to convince the most sceptical.
LUTAN FYAH
 Wedged on the bill between Gyptian, Richie Spice (finally Mason) and Jah Cure, Lutan Fyah was not necessarily the most prominent artist. Yet he gave one of the most solid concerts of the day. We found him in superb form, and with more assurance too. It showed as much in his stage manner as in his performances. The shows were longer than the day before, and Lutan Fyah therefore had time to win the crowd over with tunes met with unanimous approval, like Bits and pieces, Iniquity worker congregation, When mi rise it on the Crystal woman riddim, Never stop hail Rastafari on the Street swing, and his recent hit Save the juvenile. A tight, effective show that technically has nothing left to envy his elders Sizzla or Capleton, without quite reaching that kind of magic that often bathes their shows. That is not the singjay's fault, though, as he gave everything he had (to the point of delivering a version of Rasta still de' bout so energetic it bordered on massacre), but rather the crowd's, which remained as undemanding as ever.
 JAH MASON
A last-minute guest, replacing Richie Spice, Jah Mason quickly took his place under the guidance of the Gumption Band. But where the understanding with Lutan Fyah was striking, the coordination between Mason and the band often faltered. A man who almost never plays with the same backing band at each concert in France, he managed to get out of a few tricky situations (he had the chorus of Mi Chalwa replayed, always a delicate moment), but his overall performance suffered from these imperfections. The running order of the show was unchanged: after an entrance on My Life, followed by Lion's look, Jah Mason reviewed his favourite themes: ganja (Mi Chalwa, High Grade), love (Can you feel my pain, My princess gone, obviously the biggest forward, then Think I'm gonna cry). Not forgetting the terrific Natural Vegetables and Wheat & Tears, worthily received. "They say I must go but before I leave, I must make sure the Fire is burning," he explained before starting Burn dem for a purpose. He eventually returned for a last Hill Vibes ("in the country, where I come from"), just long enough to lift the crowd.
GREGORY ISAACS
 Despite a recent resurgence (the splendid Kingston 14 on the Made in Jamaica soundtrack), not much is expected of Gregory Isaacs any more, and it was with what remains of his voice that he began a selection of his greatest tunes, a sort of live best of replayed endlessly. No surprises, then, but the Cool Ruler, cap on backwards, reeled off hits by the dozen: Number One right at the start, as usual, then Meet Me At The Corner, Love Is Overdue, Soon Forward, Night Nurse, and even Rumours of Wars, which drew almost the best reception. Behind Gregory Isaacs, Mafia & Fluxy took on the rhythmic responsibility admirably, with the discreet but indispensable contribution of Dean Fraser besides. After a mere forty-five minutes of this best of, whose value we know but which was terribly anticipated, Gregory Isaacs disappeared. A new element then invited itself: the rain, which doused the crowd along with the hope of a dry night. The sky, undecided until then, had made its choice: after a good half hour, while we waited for Capleton, those besieging the stage were either under umbrellas or soaked.
 CAPLETON
Before Jah Cure was finally confirmed, a few days before the festival, it was Capleton who was to close Reggae Sundance 2007. Touchiness at having had the closing slot usurped? A desire to assert himself against the Jah Cure event? Whatever the reason, he started his set full of energy and fury, as he has done lately, with That day will come, followed by a rough-edged Jah Jah City. Capleton shouted, screamed, danced, jumped and multiplied the pull ups. In short, a very Jamaican show, but one that divided the Dutch crowd. The front of the stage, previously warmed up by three tunes from the faithful Jah Thunder, a Capleton disciple at David House, was won over, the rest held back. Real Hot, Good inna clothes, Can't sleep at night, Wings of the morning and then a long a cappella of Stay far from trouble were swept through one after another before Capleton left the stage for the first time... half an hour after the start of his set! The Bobo obviously came back on stage, but for only three tunes, including an unreleased Mama you're strong. In all, 45 minutes of concert. That is half of Bunny Wailer the day before.
JAH CURE
 Only one artist was left to play, and he was the one everybody was waiting for. A late headliner, Jah Cure's presence had hung like a shadow over the festival. In the campsite, between concerts, Jah Cure was on everyone's lips. It was for him that people had come from France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Under the still threatening clouds, the crowd pressed towards the stage. Tonight, nearly 20,000 people were there. The long intro to Longing For was drowned out by the roars of the crowd. His stage entrance showed him dressed all in white, radiant. Pushing every note, incredibly in tune, he drew out long laments on one of his most famous singles. In a few seconds, Jah Cure swept away any fears that he might be poorly prepared for the stage. The ovation was continuous. Then he moved on to Good Morning Jah Jah, on the I Swear with its sententious guitar. Finally, he addressed a few words to the crowd: "I am so happy to be here," he announced. "I love you all." Visibly won over by the charms of a country he had already known when opening a Beres Hammond concert in Amsterdam, he continued: "Holland is the only country in the world, apart from Jamaica, where I feel at home. I could live here!"
After the huge King in this Jungle, a duet with Sizzla whose part he took care to sing and which he finished with arms outstretched, Jah Cure was joined, as expected, by Jah Mason for an exceptional version of Run come love me, in which Mason, also draped in white, pulled out all the stops. Rockets were let off, and air horns and whistles came out. Side by side, the two were jubilant. "This is History," ventured Elise Kelly. History, but in a short version: Jah Cure also left the stage after 45 minutes of concert. Apart from Ghetto Life and I know Jah Jah Bless Me, he went no further back into his discography. On the other hand, he treated the audience to his "prison" songs, winning its favour with True Reflection, Jamaica, Love is, and the latest, Sticky, recently entered in the charts. We did not hear Sunny Day... But how could anyone be disappointed? Jah Cure's exit sounded the end of the festival. The campers went back to their tents, but the big one: on this last night, at the campsite, it was Saxon leading the dance.
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