Reggae Sumfest — a reflection - JamaicaObserver.com

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Reggae Sumfest - a reflection

Friday, July 10, 2009

The 'world's Greatest Reggae Festival', Reggae Sumfest, has come a long way from that memorable night on August 11, 1993 when a group of Montego Bay business and entertainment moguls launched the first in the series of annual concerts at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in the city.

Tarrus Riley. will be launching his new CD at Sumfest this year

A few members of the group had some experience in show production but none on such a large scale. The group, Summerfest Productions Limited, conceptualised Reggae Sumfest when its predecessor Reggae Sunsplash moved out of Montego Bay, leaving a void in the city's annual entertainment calendar. They had vision and they believed in their product, but encountered some serious challenges. Initially, the biggest challenge was how to transform a swamp into a show venue.

"The UDC had identified a venue but at the time it was just a swamp. When they took us and said this was the venue, we had 13 weeks to go. I could not believe that we really could pull it off in 13 weeks," said Summerfest chairman Robert Russell. "It really is a wonderful experience; you get a feeling of satisfaction to, 17 years later, look at all the struggles and the trials that we overcame."

As testament to their commitment the organisers not only had the show ground ready, but they managed what could easily have been the largest artiste line-up in Reggae Sumfest history with some 100 artistes performing. "We did not know what the line-up would be like, we just went out there," said a reflective Russell. "People came from all over the island just to see what this Reggae Sumfest was all about."

Among the very first acts to grace the now internationally acclaimed Sumfest stage were: The Mighty Sparrow, Percy Sledge, Ben E King, Diamonds (formerly the Mighty Diamonds), U-Roy, Lasana Bandele, Yasus Afari, Culture, Abyssinians, Charlie Chaplin, Tiger, Tony Rebel, Garnett Silk, Bounty Killer, Ninja Man, Mutabaruka, Chakademus and Pliers, Super Cat, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer.

Competing with Sunsplash at its new venue for a similar crowd, the Summerfest team had to work really hard to build a name for itself. Year one was a success but there were kinks to work out. Year two was riddled with long band changes and lacked some of the finesse that is now associated with the festival. It was not until the third staging that an Observer reporter would declare Reggae Sumfest "the" summer event.

Queen Ifrica. one of the top women in reggae today

The article published in the Observer on August 10, 1996 noted an attendance of 15,000 patrons on Thursday night and then went on to state, "Reggae Sumfest on Thursday night left no doubt in anyone's minds that it is the festival of choice."

When asked about the festival's journey to the top Summerfest Productions' Johnny Gourzong said it was a result of "fortitude, resilience and commitment".
"The first few years were challenging," he said. "I don't think that we were experienced enough and we took on monsters that got the better of us initially, but then we kind of regrouped and we took a long hard look at what needed to be done, and little by little we took the proper corrective action."

He added, "We have built a brand over the years and that I think is why we have survived, because the patrons trust us. They know that when they come to Reggae Sumfest we are going to deliver a top- quality event."

The Greats

Sumfest is also one of the few reggae festivals to have seen performances from the likes of the late Garnett Silk and Dennis Brown, both icons in the entertainment industry. "I have seen so many great artistes but I cannot forget that I was fortunate and privileged enough to see the late Garnett Silk, the late Dennis Brown and the late Alton Ellis," said Johnny Gourzong.

"I also remember one of my favourite all-time reggae groups, Steel Pulse. They have performed twice on Sumfest, and just being able to meet David Hines was amazing for me. I also have numerous unforgettable memories of Beenie Man on so many Dancehall nights."

A well-loved artiste, Garnett Silk, his life and his early death not only influenced the lives of other Jamaican artistes but also led to the emergence of some. One of the top women in reggae today, Queen Ifrica, credits her first Sumfest stage performance to the influence of Silk and a tribute titled Garnett we miss you she did in his honour.

"I got a chance to perform at Sumfest in 1995, the year after Garnett Silk died. They were doing tributes to him and I did an original song that I wrote for him when I heard the news that he died," she said in an interview. "It was very sad cause Garnett Silk was the reason I started singing when I heard him for the first time. My career, you could say was born out of that love for what he did and the type of music he did."

A Moulder of young artistes

Queen Ifrica was not the only artiste to have benefitted from the exposure of performing on the Reggae Sumfest stage. Another such artiste is Tarrus Riley who incidentally will be launching his new CD at Sumfest this year.

"Reggae Sumfest is a groomer of greats," said popular radio broadcaster and many-time Sumfest MC Paula-Anne Porter-Jones. "When I think of Reggae Sumfest, apart from having a great time, that is what comes to mind.

Reggae Sumfest has given several new artistes the opportunity to work the stage at the hardest time of the night. That's early in the show when it's only a few patrons there waiting for the big acts," Porter-Jones said. "I remember Tarrus Riley being on his first Sumfest stage - several years ago, and my thinking that as the son of Jimmy Riley, he would perhaps be just another child of a star trying to climb up on their parent's reputation. That was before hearing him perform. It's wonderful to have been so wrong and I have enjoyed seeing him change each year, gaining more skill and confidence until now he is big billing - a star in his own right, and one of my favourite artistes."

Porter-Jones also noted that international artiste Sean Paul also graced the Sumfest stage early in his career. "If you compare his stage performances then and now there is a massive difference," she said. "And it's not just because now he is a big star, he like many other artistes have had the privilege of learning from the festival."

The festival has also honoured DJ Norman 'Tiger' Jackson (shortly after his career-ending accident), The Blues Busters and Nelson Mandela, among others. This year it will add dancehall icon Beenie Man and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, to that list.

Continued growth

A fixture on the international reggae events calendar, Reggae Sumfest continues to grow and has copped two international awards in as many years. Sumfest was awarded Concert of the Year and Promoter of the Year by International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) in 2008, a feat which they followed up with Promoter of the Year for 2009. Now, those same businessmen and moguls get ready to rock Montego Bay with the 17th renewal of the greatest reggae show on earth, Reggae Sumfest, with a beach party on Sunday, July 19 and three days of epic live performances starting with Dancehall Night on Thursday, July 23 and ending with International Night II on Saturday, July 25.

The Reggae Sumfest stage will see the likes of Toni Braxton, Jazmine Sullivan, Ne-Yo, Keri Hilson, Beenie Man, Nas, Damian Marley, Etana, Tarrus Riley, Lady Saw, D'Angel, Busy Signal, Elephant Man and more, in the place that has been the festival's home for 17 years, the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex.

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