Review
Publication date : Monday, October 04th 2004 - 22 832 views
Ja'Sound festival: a try worth converting
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A first edition under the banner of Studio One: the call was strong for all roots reggae fans. The Ja'Sound, held on the grounds of the Jamaican Sunrise, did not shy away from taking on its imposing neighbour. A look back at this first edition, at once disappointing and promising, in photos and video.
> Watch the Ja'sound Festival video (25 min)
> Watch the Michigan & Smiley video (15 min)
> See the photo album
 A second reggae festival a few kilometres from the Jamaican Sunrise? It makes more sense when you know that three of the Ja'Sound's organisers worked on the first edition of the Jamaican Sunrise in 2000. A sort of snub to Kaya Production which nonetheless stoked the rivalry between the two events by splitting the audience.
The bill was enticing: four days of roots reggae dedicated to the memory of Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, the musical wizard of Studio One, who died last May. With, on top of that, the promise of rare artists such as BB Seaton, Derrick Morgan, Dave Barker, Yami Bolo, Junior Delgado and Tony Rebel. The cherry on the cake: the deejays Big Youth and Dennis Alcapone, mad chatterers from a bygone era.
Very (too?) specialised, the festival was recommended to a knowledgeable audience. For the others... the whole could lack freshness and variety. Some performances, good but not earth-shattering, did not make up for the eternal cancellations, which are becoming a national speciality over the years. We will pass over the noticeable absences of King Stitt, Alton Ellis, Rico Rodriguez and Little Roy, announced before the festival. But when Big Youth, BB Seaton and Derrick Morgan (scheduled as replacements) are added to them, it is not only the programming that takes the hit, but also the tribute to Studio One. One can only applaud the frankness of the organisers, who announced them to the audience.
 Positive note
After the first night, the rest was less eventful, but suffered from concerts that were a little short overall. A shame: for artists one doesn't see often, we would have liked to keep an unforgettable memory. We will nonetheless remember the very good shows by Tony Rebel, Junior Delgado, Queen I Frica, Linval Thompson, Natural Black and Michigan (without Smiley).
Another regret: apart from the opening night, the sound systems only shone during the interludes and at the end of the nights, with sets that were not always flattering. A disappointment, especially given the quality selection (Aba Shanti I, Dub Cartell, Fatman and David Rodigan).
The festival did not keep all its promises but the four days end on a positive note. Even if the memory of this first edition was reappraised after the disaster of its rival a few days later, the challenge was on the whole met by the organisers. The Ja'Sound can pride itself on very good organisation and impeccable security, all in a good general atmosphere and a welcoming setting. Which, ultimately, bodes well for the future.
Report written by Sebastien Jobart
Tags : Big Youth (25)
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