"Original Reggae Style" had a modest but vibrant crowd at Estância Alto da Serra! Check it out!

September 18 will go down in the history of many São Paulo reggae fans, for it is not every day that we have the privilege of witnessing an artist of such magnitude as Max Romeo, a legend that needs no introduction. The "Original Reggae Style" event, organized by Zeroneutro, delivered on the lineup, bringing besides Max the no less legendary producer and DJ Mad Professor and national reggae names such as Planta e Raiz, Natiruts and Marcelo Mira, who opened the sequence of performances at Estância. Marcelo warmed up the night with tracks such as "Minha Voz", from the defunct Alma d'Jem, and the newest from his solo career "Passos pela Rua", which is even part of the global telenovela "Malhação". The attractions were interspersed with the weight of the Dubversão soundsystem, with DJ Yellow P at the controls. Keeping the DUB vibe, Mad Professor turned Estância into a true party, fueled by many classics and the producer's contagious friendliness. Next, the band Planta e Raiz fired up the crowd with their new sounds, but drew more cheers with the hits from the early career, where we easily noticed the monstrous reception from the audience when band classics such as "Com Certeza" were performed. Speaking of hits, Universal released a two-disc compilation containing the 30 main songs of Planta's career. Keeping the hits mood, Natiruts arrived. Strolling through the band's rich discography, the audience was one voice for practically the entire set list sung by Alexandre, whether "Presente de um Beija-Flor" or "Raçaman". Also check out the new Natiruts song on Surforeggae, "Você Me Encantou Demais" (click here).

LORD OF THE NIGHT

Close to 4 a.m., the lord of the night arrived. Max Romeo is pure brilliance, a simplicity that gives you chills, an example to be followed by MANY bands in Brazil, after all we are talking about a man who left Bob Marley with his "dreads standing on end" when he heard his album "War ina Babylon", an essential work for any self-respecting reggae lover, not only for Max's talent but also for the genius of his mentor Lee "Scratch" Perry and all the magic surrounding the "sacred temple", the Black Ark studio. Accompanied by the competent Leões de Israel, one of the Jamaicans' favorite backing bands, Max Romeo was announced after an instrumental introduction composed of various famous excerpts from songs in his career, and entered with the enigmatic "One Step Forward" to the delight of fans. Wonderful songs such as "Stealing in the Name of The Lord", "Tacko" and "Fari - Captain of my Ship" were present, but the most acclaimed were saved for the end. The sequence with "War ina Babylon" and "Chase the Devil" shook the structures of Estância, and marked that strategic exit for the encore. Max returned with "Redemption Song" (by Bob Marley) a cappella, that is, only his vocal, and it was not uncommon to see a fan or two crying with emotion. To finish on a high note, the performance closed with "Jamaican Ska". This was Max Romeo's last show on his short and meteoric Latin American tour. May he return soon!