Marley did not die. Parties fueled by a "new" reggae version win over rappers to students.

The vibe is relaxed. Driven by a contagious rhythm, partygoers of all ages dance, without much frenzy, in a setting that makes it clear: they are at ease. The combination of red, green and yellow, unmistakable Jamaican symbol, dominates the scene. Reggae, which conquered the world in Bob Marley’s voice, plays with a new outfit, with a more electronic beat. This is the atmosphere of dub parties, which are winning over crowds in cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Dub is precisely the name of the instrumental version of reggae, full of innovative electronic interventions.

The parties are often held in the open air. Musicians, rappers, trendsetters and college students are among the most faithful attendees. In Rio, the best dub events are on the seafront, organized by the Digitaldub Sound System crew. In São Paulo, the Dubversão project organizes itinerant dances. On the decks is Yellow P, the dub ambassador in Brazil. “They think reggae is surfer sound, but the rhythm is very urban, street,” he defines. Like Yellow P, most dub DJs use LPs (long players), love Bob Marley and spend hours digging for rarities in record shops, used to mix original song snippets with electronic elements. At the parties, nothing too frantic. Ska, reggae, dub and ragga — trademarks of Jamaican musicality — are light, steady. “The dub crowd is discreet and enjoys more laid-back parties,” says São Paulo visual artist Fefê Talavera, 24, a constant presence at dub parties in São Paulo.

The dances last at most six hours and sometimes start in the afternoon. No one leaves drenched in sweat from jumping so much and stimulants are not a hit. The charm lies precisely in the calm atmosphere. “The sound is penetrating, it makes people go into a trance,” observes MC Zulu, a 28-year-old from São Paulo who often jumps in at parties, dropping his rhymes over dub bases. Perhaps under the influence of the revered Marley, dub parties have little to do with “Babylonian” electronic raves, where the rule is to dance for two or three days straight.