Sly & Robbie and other reggae greats deliver a killer show at the PERCPAN event in Salvador!

Without a doubt, Sly and Robbie gave a performance that will remain etched in the memory of everyone present at Teatro Castro Alves in Salvador on October 24 and 25. The event that welcomed these two great names in Reggae was PERCPAN - Panorama Percussivo Mundial, which celebrated its tenth edition this year. Musical richness was the main characteristic of the festival, which focused on percussion, improvisation, and the creation of experimental sounds. PERCPAN featured performances by national and international artists such as Margareth Menezes, Duo Ello, Afro Reggae, Tato Taborda, Orlando Maracá, Gilberto Gil, and of course, Sly & Robbie. The Jamaican duo's performance was enriched by the presence of Saxophonist Dean Fraser and the also famous Keyboardist Franklin "Bubble" Wall. Unleashing a breathtaking sequence composed of several well-known "Riddims" among "Regueiros", the band sang and enchanted the audience with Dean Fraser's finely tuned Saxophone, Sly's consistency on drums without any electronic components, Robbie's aggressiveness on bass, and "Bubble" Wall's precision on his three keyboards. The artists' rapport on stage made the floor shake, causing something curious: Robbie's bass was so powerful that it caused "damage" to a PA system on the right side of the stage (literally, a speaker blew out), which was subsequently hastily shut down by the stage crew. It was an unprecedented scene in Salvador. One could see people who perhaps had never had such strong contact with reggae, amazed and with their "mouths open" at the show and musical richness produced there. In the repertoire, great "Riddims" found in songs by Black Uhuru, Don Carlos, Tenor Saw, Cocoa Tea, Barrington Levy, Gregory Isaacs, Half Pint, among thousands of other Jamaican singers and groups who recorded with Sly & Robbie. The scene was literally stolen by Dean Fraser, who besides playing his Saxophone, sang parts of the songs and even played DJ, as he put it: "BAHIA, In Jamaica, we call this one, DJ Style". It was hard not to be moved watching a quartet that is more than part of Reggae History. The sensation was literally having before your eyes and ears, legends of International Music, producing all those melodies that no one else can replicate. It was not hard to hear comments from people like "Wow, this Saxophonist plays so well, he even sounds like a Jazz musician", or "Everything is shaking". Without a doubt, the tranquility and confidence of the musicians passed on to the audience an energy and vibrations that are inexplicable. People like me spent the entire show with their legs trembling from emotion. The performance was concluded by a duet between Dean Fraser and Robbie Shakespeare, which sent the audience into a frenzy. Highly simple and attentive to fans, drummer Sly Dunbar gave autographs and photos, always thanking everyone for coming out to support them. On the 25th, the show was even more consistent, even featuring Robbie Shakespeare singing some Black Uhuru songs (the day before he limited himself to playing bass). The band made a considerable change to the repertoire, and the audience was vibrating much more than on the first day. It was really cool to see a large part of those present dancing in front of the stage, right there at Teatro Castro Alves. Even the older folks could not hold back. One could observe people estimated to be apparently 70, 80 years old falling into Reggae like children. Literally, it was a show for all tastes and all ages, just as Reggae should be: For everyone, without restriction of age, color, or religion. We hope to have these "Sacred Monsters" back here again. The experience was undoubtedly unmatched.

IMAGENS DO EVENTO

- Click here and see some photos of the event.