The international reggae festival Rototom Sunsplash passes the midpoint of its 30th edition. During the first four days – since last Saturday – it has brought together audiences from 94 countries across five continents. Spain, France, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, United States, and Portugal are the main origin countries of the festival-goers for the first part of this edition.

The festival’s artistic offering for this Wednesday, August 20th, comes loaded with proper names and showcasing, once again, the diversity of styles that converge in this milestone edition, such as the vintage-soul sound system of the French collective L’Entourloop, who will burst onto a Main Stage, which also welcomes Ky-Mani Marley in a show with Alborosie as a special guest.

Cimarons, a pioneering band in the European reggae scene, arrive to showcase their new album, produced by one of the most respected Spanish producers on the international scene, Lone Ark (Roberto Sánchez), who will also take part in the show.

The evening will feature another trio of artists on the Lion Stage with the British Joe Yorke, who in recent years has been causing a sensation in the world of reggae with his extraordinary vocal style; the Chilean band Movimiento original, one of the most influential groups in the Spanish reggae and hip hop scene, who made a real difference to urban music with a message of awareness, love, and resistance; as well as the Australian Dub FX, who promises another impressive live performance as a one-man orchestra, using loops to build immersive soundscapes, fusing dub, reggae, hip-hop, drum and bass, and electronica.

Again, the Reggae University will connect with the artists on the day’s lineup. In a special joint session in collaboration with House of Rastafari (5:30 PM), Alborosie, will talk about his recent “African Victory” tours of Ethiopia and Kenya, sharing progress on the documentary recorded during the trip and talking about the solidarity aspects of the tours, as well as his experiences of Rastafarian spirituality in the homeland of the faith. At 7:00 PM, before the show at the Dub Academy, Rico OBF and Stef OBF will review the history of the French label Dubquake Records in the session “Dub in the 21st Century”, accompanied by dub artists Motherdubber and Esaïa, two of the label’s emerging female stars.

Beyond the stages, activity and awareness will once again take center stage in spaces such as the Social Forum, which will host the second of the sessions on the environmental crisis of this edition: “Before the Collapse, Tell Me a Story” this Wednesday , with collaboration from Greenpeace. The debate that will unite two other prominent voices, that of the La Sexta journalist and director of the program “Salvados”, Fernando “Gonzo” González, and Flavita Banana, cartoonist, illustrator, and artist, to weave a dialogue between journalism, culture, and activism.

Moderated by Miguel García, coordinator of the activism school at Greenpeace Spain, both guests will explain how stories – either through television journalism or the illustrated format – have the power to transform reality, to connect with people, provoke reflection and raise awareness, and so generating new forms of action and resistance to address crises such as the climate emergency.

Jamkunda will hold a meeting with the creative collective Winner Circle on fashion, art, and roots, before giving way to a new daily session of Afro-modern dance as a transition to the opening of Jamkunda Stage.

Rural self-organisation, resilience of the countryside, and environmental justice
When the torrential rains of the DANA (isolated high altitude depression) devastated fields and towns, farmers were the first to respond, organising aid and rebuilding communities. However, months later, many are still waiting for the promised institutional aid. Pachamama focuses its attention on them, and through representatives of various agricultural collectives, will host a talk (7:00 PM) on the resilience of the countryside, the importance of rural self-organisation, and the need for environmental justice. “A necessary conversation about those who feed the people even in times of forgotten crisis”, commented the organsation.

In the same space, earlier in the afternoon, you’ll be able to discover the authentic flavors of the land in a tasting of traditional horticultural varieties guided by Llavors d’Ací: a selection of tomatoes, peppers, and other treats from the Valencian garden, grown organically. This sensory experience will lead into another of the activities of this space; a guided acroyoga masterclass, adapted to all levels to connect body and mind.

Discovery Lab will promote more science with a workshop on learning how to build a Higgs circuit, as well as a session around the moral dilemmas raised by AI. With the goal of enjoying a better virtual life, it will show the effects that social networks can sometimes have and that surprise us and can impact our lives, not always in a positive way, through the help of maths,

In the Teen Yard, the Spanish national beat box championship runner-up, Soundb3, arrives with a dynamic and engaging workshop for teenagers. Through the use of voice, rhythms and the LoopStation, participants will discover how to produce music in real time, creating basslines and sounds with their body.

And last, but not least, Mágico Mundo will host the activity “Family Dance” with Juana Varela where adults and children can connect through movement and music.