Marked by Latin American and European culture, the Showcase put forward a truly intense and diverse night. We started directly with Bam at 8.30pm and the Italian rappers; Dabadub. They sang only in Italian and and didn’t invite the crowd to sing along with them, but in any case kicked off the night’s proceedings. The three Italian voices gave their best to the benefit of the audience, a notable effort, but as we’ve said, rap continues to feature at the Showcase and has found a welcoming space there.

The Mexian singer JahFabio grabbed the mic for the next concert. The backing band de Alerta kamarada never lost their rhythms and the change was hardly noticed, so we eagerly await their concert on Thursday. JahFabio has followers all over the world and has played alongside many Italian and European artists. The crowd around the stage soon swelled and had made them have fun, jump around, sit on the floor, clap, but above all, they didn’t stop dancing. The Spanish band Koers came to the stage after his show. This group from Lleida seem to have found an ideal mix, of Jamaican and African reggae. A top notch rhythm section did the rest. Without doubt, it was a great discovery for the Rototom goers who didn’t yet know them.

Nico Royale‘s performance, who wasn’t able to play the night before due to the power cut, exceeded all expectations. The Italian with South American heritage delivered just what his fans were waiting for with a top show, presenting a set with a wide range of influences. Later came the time for the daily dose of ska. The Natural Brothers played a DJ set with Crepitans from Madrid. There were classic Jamaican, rocksteady and early reggae sounds, from the group formed only recently, but with experimental musicians. As usual, the audience didn’t miss this gig.

Auxili played on home turf after two performances in three years. The powerful and developed band from Valencia didn’t betray us. It was a show that wore the crowd out, with their well known songs and a touch of experimentation, however a large number of the band’s followers came to lend support. Congratulations. Jahneration began well and finished off even better. There was “progressive” atmosphere around the stage. The two Parisian singjays mixed reggae and hip hop with nu roots and electronica. The crowd grew during the set and couldn’t stop dancing and moving until demanding a series of encores that also messed up the night’s programming.

It was a French band the closed the memorable session at the Showcase. Inexhaustable, full power reggae was how the sound team started to feel the moment Paiaka set foot on stage. A superb chemistry between smooth harmonies and great rhythm, with touches of dub, jazz and rock, to listen to and… listen again! The resident DJ of the 5th day at the Showcase was the well known Wisdom Sound; captivating and precise throughout the night.

Paul Stones