Incredible! Credicard Hall hosts the first major international show of 2005: Israel Vibration!

January 20, 2005 — the year is just beginning... and there was no better way to wish peace and light than with the legendary Israel Vibration. Following the great international shows of 2004, the Jamaican duo graces Brazilian soil for a performance that will hardly be matched this year, not least because the band accompanying Wiss and Skelly on this world tour is none other than the powerful and equally legendary Roots Radics. To open the night with plenty of energy, Tribo de Jah, which is releasing its new album recorded in Switzerland called "In Version", prepared a great show for a Credicard Hall with an excellent crowd. Right from the start, the big screen showed the various countries where Tribo took our culture and music, such as Japan, France, Switzerland and many others. "Babilônia em Chamas", "Me Satisfaz a Alma", a version of Bob Marley's "Satisfy My Soul", "Uma Onda Que Passou" — in short, all the classics of one of Brazil's most experienced bands across every musical strand. Fauzi has incredible charisma with his audience, and shows all his "owl spirit" by dedicating his own "Me Satisfaz a Alma" to his daughter Janis, who received that name out of her total admiration for Blues & Soul singer Janis Joplin. Fauzi Beydoun also dedicates the song "Estradas e Trilhas" to a group of surfers from Trindade who were present. To the delight and choruses of the fans, "Princesa Nativa", "Não basta ser Rasta", "Neguinho Babaçu" and "Regueiros Guerreiros" shook the house! After an impeccable setlist, the curtains drop and the atmosphere heats up even more. Samuca Beydoun, Fauzi's son, makes the introduction... now it's time to "let the legs go and hold the heart", as the Roots Radics take the stage. The "Warm Up", one of the heaviest intros in world reggae, is spine-tingling, and it was magical to stand face to face with the "wizard" Errol Flabba Holt, the bassist who sets the weight and influences generations. Making an instrumental introduction for Wiss and Skelly, the Roots Radics ran through snippets of several classics such as "Licks and Kicks" and "The Same Song". When Cecil "Skelly" Spence and Lacelle "Wiss" Bulgin finally take the mics, the Credicard Hall goes out of control. The first notes of "Rockfort Rock" are played and the crowd becomes one voice! Skelly has an extraordinary vocal power, and sings the most danceable songs such as the classic "The Same Song" from the 1978 album of the same name and "Sodom and Gomorrah" from the 2002 album "Fighting Soldiers". Wiss, always focused, embodies the "low & heavy" profile of Israel Vibration, and when "Vultures" begins, Flabba Holt and he make the mood grow heavier. "Tippy Tippy Toes", also from the album "Fighting Soldiers", makes even clearer the marriage between Wiss's calm, powerful vocals and the killer instrumental of the Roots Radics. At one point in the show, Skelly invites the audience to sing along to "Ball of Fire" from the 1978 album "The Same Song", and the classic "Red Eyes" from the 1990 album "Forever", which still featured Albert "Apple" Craig. Errol Moore and Macasea Bey, guitarist and drummer respectively, introduce "Get up n' Go" with Wiss. Practically impossible to describe in words. "So far Away" also enjoys unmatched reception. The spectacle is magical, and even with the absence of the crowd favorites "Licks and Kicks" and "Fight to Survive", the performance was a sight to behold. This was Israel Vibration's stop in São Paulo; they still have shows scheduled in Rio in January, in Imbituba/SC and in Brasília. According to Samuca Beydoun, Brazil is on the world reggae circuit, and 2005 looks set to be another year of great performances by international bands. Jah Bless! Acknowledgments: This coverage had special participation from Thiago of Inforeggae and Guto of ReggaeVale in image recording. Thanks also to Johnny of J. B. Good, and Israel, the event organizer, who gave full support to Surforeggae's information recording work. Respect!

more information

Click here to learn more about Israel Vibration. Click here to learn more about Tribo de Jah.

EVENT IMAGES

Click here to see some photos of the event.