During the week, more than 202,000 people from 76 countries have spun to the rhythm of planet Rototom. The majority were from Spain, then followed by France, UK, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden. Alongside these countries, there were also far-flung destinations such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Philippines, Ghana and Kenya that had a presence.

The busiest day was Saturday 17th August with 34,000 people that came to see a line-up headed by Busy Signal and the soundtrack show from the film Babylon, one of reggae’s biggest cinematic hits, at the hands of Brinsley Forde and Dennis Bovell. The same day also saw “a significant influx throughout the whole week”, reported the organisation.

The session on 21st August, with the unstoppable Ziggy Marley; and the day that closes the festival with a special show from Green Valley & Friends that celebrates 10 years of the festival in Spain, also had significant peaks in attendance.

The festival has flowed beyond the limits of the concert area thanks to the live streaming of the concerts and activities throughout the week. The five channels set up have brought Rototom Sunsplash closer to 7 million people all over the world, who could follow the day to day happenings of festival live and direct on the website and social media.

The open and family friendly profile of Rototom Sunsplash has also evolved this edition, encouraged by the addition of new areas such as the Teen Yard for teenagers at the festival. From Friday 16th to Thursday 22nd August, 11,000 under-13s have passed through the concert area. In addition, 3,400 over-65s and 3,800 people with disabilities joined the Rototom Sunsplash experience.

Stand up for Earth had great successes, like having given this edition the title plastic free. It’s a firm step in the right direction in defence of the Earth that has been made possible thanks to the elimination of all plastic bottles. This has freed the planet of 11,000 kg of plastic (which is enough to fill 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools) and has prevented the emission of almost 16,500 kg of CO2.

Rototom Sunsplash also stood up for Earth by way of the debates and talks that took place in the Social forum and Ataya (African Village). Many renowned speakers have passed through, such as the indigenous leader and guardian of the Amazon; Sonia Guajajara, the Spanish representative of the student climate movement, Fridays for Future; Gemma Barricarte, as well as the human rights activist; Sani Ladan. These debates put the focus on the collective search for solutions to global problems such as the climate crisis and the impact of plastic.

A large part of the festival’s ‘green’ movement concentrated in Pachamama, with a programme that tackled practical issues in the defence of Mother Earth, such as how to reduce plastic consumption, to designing objects with recycled materials and how to create a domestic vegetable patch.

Along with this extra dose of environmental engagement, Rototom Sunsplash 2019 also also maintained its commitment to solidarity and social engagement through actions like the campaign to raise funds for Greenpeace with the reusable plastic glass system, setting up a Respect Point for information about sexual aggressions or LGBTphobia, as well as the novel initiative of donating food to reduce waste.

The programme of Rototom Sunsplash has also made an additional couple of stops at the prison Castellón II de Albocàsser. The spirit of the festival and the music of Koers (Monday 19th) as well as Green Valley and Macaco (Wednesday 21st) was brought to the inmates there.

As of this Friday 23rd August, the countdown to Rototom Sunsplash 2020 is back on. Ahead is a while year to outline what the 27th edition of Europe’s biggest reggae festival will look like.

Multiple cameos were also in order earlier on the Main Stage for the 40th anniversary showcase for the cast of Ted Bafaloukos’ classic reggae film Rockers. Drummer and lead actor Leroy Horsemouth Wallace (who was celebrating his birthday and asserted his considerable personality at that day’s University discussion) gave his famous speech warning that “Babylon Shall Fall”. Pioneering Rasta deejay Big Youth removed his hat to flash his locks during Hit The Road Jack. Smooth-voiced singer, and supporter of the festival’s environmental theme, Kiddus I sang his mystic Graduation In Zion. The band included Lloyd Parks on bass – who took lead vocals on his own hits Mafia and Officially. Harmonies were supplied by the group Kushart, who had performed on the same stage in 2017 as part of the Silvertones.

Female energy was in evidence on both the Main and Lion stages. Rasta poet and singer Jah9 returned to Rototom, chanting over the sparse dub-scapes of her stripped-down band. She was all poise and confidence for empowering breakout anthems New Name, Avocado, and Steamers A Bubble, as well as more recent material like Love Has Found I and new track, To Each His Own.

On the Lion Stage, Women Soldier, a special show organised by Barcelonan producer Chalart’58, was dedicated four very talented but different female singers: Belen Natali, Awa Fall, Matah and High Paw. Chalart played crisp digital dub productions from his laptop, while the squad of Women Soldiers delivered fierce vocal performances from their 2018 album of the same name.

The Lion Stage completed its journey through some of the most diverse and unmissable moments of the festival. The New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble got people moving their feet with a horn-drenched up-tempo excursion into the close links between Jamaican and American big band music of the 50s and 60s. Of course, a recut of Take Five in reggae was mandatory. Meanwhile, the Dancehall was charmed by the angelic voice and colourful language of New York based Jamaican singer, Kranium.

Special mention should be given to the festival’s smaller areas. The Caribbean Uptempo, the Jumping and the African Village all provided lively entertainment away from the big stages across all seven days.

Emotions were high as the 26th edition of the festival ended its week of strong performances, environmental and social messages, and happy memories. We hope you will join us next year…

Angus Taylor

Some days later, close Marley square, where La Garrofera are taking a photo of their team, the Social Forum can be found. Leticia Cabo, doctor and activist for the NGO Proactiva Open Arms, takes the microphone in this meeting space and debate to put the focus on the situation that the NGO is experiencing: “It’s great to come back. Rototom will always be a safe harbour for Open Arms”. This year, more than ever. The festival collaborated with the NGO in its 2018 edition, donating the money raised collecting plastic glasses deposited in the wooden containers by those attending the festival. This year, the beneficiary of each plastic glass will be destined for Greenpeace: Stand up for Earth.

A safe harbour. Rototom is an social and inclusive festival that looks into the public’s eyes and reaches out a hand. It not only weaves a musical line-up that shows the many forms Jamaican music can take, the extra-musical activities, or through projects like that which took music to Albocàsser prison, but it is also a home for everyone. A place where you can find yourself and get rid of the day to day noise. It’s a small piece of Zion. Because Rototom Sunsplash is a green festival, with courage, that roars as a family, that’s much more than music, and it’s able to break chains.

As can be read on the murals in front of Reggae University: “Many people, big and small, doing small things, can change the world” (Eduardo Galeano). Maybe it sounds cliché, but it’s such small things like depositing a plastic glass in a container before leaving a festival, the fact that Lucía can visit the music festival every summer, that Leticia found a place to raise her voice and awareness and visibility of her cause, or that María Teresa sees her grandson Anuar grow and learn in her hand. Because these things can change the world.

Asun Pérez (Translated by Finn Darco)

Over at the Dub Academy, area hosts Green Light, France’s Blackboard Jungle, and Bologna’s 48 Roots Sound were engaged in a friendly 3-way clash. Knowing that 48 Roots would be bringing the foundation rarities, Green Light dropped an absolute killer in the form of the Rockstones’ slavery lament, Oh Jah Man. Later on, the Academy hosted a surprise set by Stand High Patrol.

The legacy of the Wailers was brought to life on the Main Stage. Deep-voiced Rasta singer Bushman, back for the first time since 2010, threw out copies of new album Conquering Lion and paid tribute to his hero Peter Tosh with the songs Bush Doctor and Igziabeher.

But the moment many had been waiting for was the headline appearance of Bob Marley’s son, Ziggy. Like Third World, Ziggy’s take on roots reggae is a progressive one, melding rock, dance and pop to the original template. From his father’s classics to the title track of his own latest album Rebellion Rises, every note of every tune was rendered with pinpoint accuracy. During Get Up Stand Up, he used Haile Selassie’s speech popularised by another of his father’s anthems, War. His band included the great drummer Carlton Santa Davis, who played live with Peter Tosh, and on the recording of Bob’s Coming In From The Cold, which was lovingly recreated.

Dancehall’s role in the global conversation was evident away from the Main Stage. Ghana’s multilingual, multitalented vocalist Stonebwoy, who appeared as a surprise guest of Morgan Heritage the night before, delivered his own extraordinary high energy set on the Lion Stage. “I represent the reggae, dancehall and Afrobeats community” he said – and his abilities likewise were threefold: as a singer, rapper and deejay. In the Dancehall, Spanish singer and emcee Mad Muasel displayed similar versatility. She and her dancers had people jumping to dancehall, reggae and cumbia at the same frenetic pace. She was followed by non-stop strictly Jamaican dancehall crowd-pleasers, from area headliners Renaissance with selector Jazzy T.

Fans of soulful singing were treated to a choice between generations. On the Lion Stage: the emotive tones and summery crossover rhythms of French sensation Naâman had a huge and familiar audience waiting for him from the start. Meanwhile at the Caribbean Uptempo, veteran Studio 1 crooner Winston Francis reminded everyone why he was the voice of some of Jamaica’s best loved songs such as Mr Fix It and Let’s Go To Zion.

Angus Taylor