22 August 2015
Aswad opens the programme, a historical formation of the English scene from the years of the anti-racist mobilizations of Caribbean migrants in the intolerant England of the Thatcher era. The members of the golden era of the band left in the formation are Tony Gad, on bass, and the historic drummer Drummie Zeb, who holds the role of singer after the departure of Brinsley Forde. It is precisely the activist stepper rhythm from the seventies which opens the show with a great version of “It is just a little herb”, to which other pieces of their best period are added such as “Tuff me tuff”, “Drum & Bass line” and the great “Roots rocking “. Drummie sings very relaxed with a voice rich in soul notes and does not hesitate to have a break with the heavy dub instrumental of his “Love Fire”.
In the eighties, the band turned to a kind of reggae with pop touches not missed this afternoon in their repertoire of songs, where we enjoyed one of the hits of the UK top charts “Dont turna round” and the glorious “On & On “. Their show combines the elegance and class to the substance, and the start of the evening could not have been better. After Aswad was the turn of Green Valley from Barcelona, recent sensation in the Spanish music scene with a great ability to condense in their music the most genuine roots strength and the sweetness of ballads with a Latin flavour. Last year, they celebrated their first decade reaching now a great maturity. They have worked very hard to collect the fruits of their effort and it is very significant to hear the young boys in the front rows singing their lyrics in unison.
From Spain we return to Italy with the presence of Mellow Mood, who return to the Main Stage for the second consecutive year, directing their music towards the expressive form of Jamaican sound and a kind of reggae of an international level. The audience that follows them demonstrate that they go in the right direction. “Criminal” prepares the audience for the show, which continues with various hits of their latest work “2 the world”. Their friend Forelock joins the band for a beautiful rendition of “Inna Jamaica”. The show is fluid, and the two twins, L.O. and Jacob, make the audience cry, dance and sing to their energetic movements. The final part of another great concert shines with “Dance inna Babylon” performed before Mellow Mood leave the stage, very pleased by the welcome.
For the grand finale, the same band inflames the vibrations from the beginning with the “Conscious deejay” of Macka B, to the beat of the very strong “Roots ragga”, in order to show that roots music will never die. Macka finds the right energy giving an excellent lesson of deejay style and positivity until the appearance on the scene of Lee Perry. With his seventy-nine years old, he is halfway between an eternal boy and a creature from outer space. Lee is one of the most eccentric characters in the history of reggae and his behaviour on stage demonstrates this. Over forced rhythms, the crazy dub wizard recites a litany while walking on the stage showing the public his beard dyed in red, his colourful clothes and his baseball cap full of several gadgets and medals. The triumph of madness is one of the greatest moments of the penultimate evening of the festival and tomorrow is the last great scandal.