Reggae in São Paulo. Some call it a passing trend!

Everything leads me to believe that this reggae wave in São Paulo is just a passing fad. Nowadays in the city of São Paulo we have many shows and events, many artists emerging, and others rising again. I think this way because whenever I go to the city's shows, I see a crowd that is very poorly informed... just play artists who are always on the most popular radios like O Rappa, Planet Hemp, Bob Marley and the crowd lights up, they start jumping on each other like at a Hip Hop show (nothing against Hip Hop), but I believe it has nothing to do with the reggae style, except for the fight against oppression.

This often generates fights and misunderstandings. Now, if they play some international reggae rarities or even national ones, the crowd seems to boo and ask for them back. I think the relationship of reggae with marijuana is a mistake, so many go to shows just because it's allowed, I say this because I have many friends who go only to smoke without being bothered... it's a fact! This trivializes reggae, just like forró which is now called "university forró". They just need to create "university reggae"!

People end up not going after their roots and seeing how beautiful their culture and history are. But I always try to take good things from what's happening in Paulista reggae, such as:
 1) High-quality bands able to show their worth.
2) Bands from other states being known here.
3) The movement growing more and more in Brazil.
4) People learning from reggae and staying after the fad passes.

Reggae in São Paulo is still crawling, as in all of Brazil. But one thing is certain: when a fad passes, many join and stay, growing and strengthening the movement even more... but meanwhile ....

We will see the great Burning Spear opening for Pato Banton.
We will see announcements of Gladiators and Max Romeo being canceled days before their performances.
We will see Gregory play only 1 hour because his fee wasn't paid.
We will see most people leave the São Paulo international festival after Tribo de Jah and Planta e Raiz played, and not watch fantastic performances by U-Roy, Sylvia Tella and the great Fully Fullwood Band.
We will see a major national reggae festival, a public success, end in brawling.
And so it goes...

Conclusion: Reggae in São Paulo and in Brazil is still crawling, almost nobody knows how to work with reggae, I mean promotion... and those who know don't have the power to do it. I do want reggae to take over everything, I want to see artists I admire greatly having their space in the media without losing their roots, I can cite some here who represent Paulista reggae very well, artists who carry the philosophy, culture and history of reggae into their music, such as Afetos, Reggae Style, Leões de Israel, Walking Lions, Vibrações de Jah, Rastafari mix and many others.