Salvador reaffirms itself as one of Brazil's reggae capitals! See what happened at República do Reggae 2006!

Anyone who thought that the rain (or rather, deluge) that fell in the Capital of Bahia last Saturday, November 11th would disrupt one of the biggest Reggae events in the country, was wrong. República do Reggae, which is now in its fourth edition, proved to be very strong by attracting an audience of 14 thousand people to Wet’n Wild in Salvador, despite the terrible weather conditions. In the program, the star of the night coming straight from Jamaica, “Daddy” U-Roy and other big names in national Reggae such as the Rio de Janeiro band Ponto de Equilíbrio (for the first time at Bahia) and the Maranhão band Tribo de Jah, in addition to the attractions from Boa Terra, Adão Negro, Sine Calmon, Olodum and Diamba.

Olodum

The night was literally atypical, with lightning, thunder and lots of rain, conditions not very common in Salvador. Those present began to arrive at the place and protected themselves from the rain as best they could, with umbrellas, capes and even tarpaulins that were held in groups. Therefore, the percussive group Olodum opened the event, and contrary to what many thought, they did not disappoint. The band that bears the name Bahia internationally made a repertoire entirely focused on reggae and showed that rhythm has everything to do with their scenic and musical show.

Ital Sound System

During the breaks, Ital Sound System, a project by Vicente de Jesus (Red Meditation, Moa Anbesa, Ital Studio) and Rafael Costa (Surforeggae, AZ Records) played the best of Reggae, making those present forget the rain a little and enjoy the moment. Even U-Roy himself and his backing vocalists Sister Jiji and Elizabeth recorded vignettes for Sound System, showing affection and respect for its members.

Tribo de Jah

Tribo de Jah, the second attraction of the night, made people give in and forget about the rain. The Tribe has been to the city several times, playing small shows and participating in large Reggae events, such as República do Reggae and Skol Tropical Beats. Playing old songs like “Ruínas da Babilônia” the group shook Wet’n Wild with their sound. Some tracks from the new album “The Babylon Inside” were also presented.

Ponto de Equilíbrio

A lot of expectation surrounded those present as they awaited the next attractions. The Rio band Ponto de Equilíbrio made a good debut in Salvador, counting on the luck that the weather improved and the rain stopped for almost the entire performance. The group became well known in the country with a simple Demo CD and later with the release of the album “Reggae a Vida com Amor”, which sold thousands of copies independently.

Adão Negro

Following the presentation by the locals of Ponto de Equilíbrio, the band Adão Negro, which has been very successful in its travels around the country, was the next to perform on the Wet’n Wild stage. The group has managed to remain in the media for a long time with several songs on the radio and it can already be said that it is the Reggae band in the world that causes the most excitement when it plays there. In the presentation, some well-known songs and some new ones, which will appear on the next CD that will be mixed on Jamaica.

U-Roy

A special sequence made by Ital Sound System warmed up the audience who were anxiously awaiting the performance of one of the biggest Reggae names of all time. U-Roy, or “The Originator” as he is known at Jamaica, was one of the pioneers of the “Toaster” style, in which DJs like him make improvised versions of original songs. Opening the show with the classic “Babylon Burning”, U-Roy fulfilled at that moment a dream of many who were there just to see it. Carrying flags, paintings and other artifacts, the ecstatic audience enjoyed an overwhelming sequence of hits from the Jamaican music genius. Songs like “Amen”, “Natty Rebel”, “Same Vibe” and “Pass the Kutchie” delighted the fans who were spread out all over the dance floor. Under a deluge, all that could be seen from above were umbrellas jumping and a lot of vibration from the public present. At the public's requests, U-Roy even returned for an encore that will remain engraved in the memory of the authentic Reggae fan who was there. Showing a lot of attention to the fans, U-Roy and her very friendly backing vocalists welcomed us with open arms in the dressing room for a long conversation that lasted more than an hour. Long live U-Roy! May we soon see you again in Tupiniquin lands.

Sine Calmon

It was already past four in the morning when Sine Calmon, the next guest of the night, took the stage. It was seen that the artist, even without having much space in the media, still has a very large audience, who sang all his songs. There were many requests for him to return to the stage even after the end of the show, but due to the late schedule it was not possible.

Diamba

Detonating the last sequence of the night, or rather, of the day that was already born in Salvador, the sound of Ital Sound System with a very special guest coming directly from France made versions in their best style, keeping the audience wide awake for Diamba, the band that would close the event. Taking the stage at almost 6 am, Diamba was responsible for bringing the last good vibes of the event to the public. The band, which is celebrating 10 years, made a repertoire of its own songs and some covers, such as the group “Culture”, which was recently in Brasil and recently suffered the loss of its singer Joseph Hill and is now led by Kenyatta Hill, his son. República do Reggae was proclaimed with great peace and the rain together with the best possible vibration sent by the artists washed the souls of those present. We hope that next year the event will bring other great Reggae artists.

EVENT IMAGES

Click here and check out some images from this event. Photos 01 to 44 kindly provided by Everson Coutinho.