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August 02, 2006
SUNPLASH READY TO MAKE A BIG SPLASH IN OCHEY
Ocho Rios, St. Ann
Everything's juiced and ready to go. The return is now a mere formality as the bMobile Reggae Sunsplash 2006 festival kicks off today at Richmond Estates, St. Ann with an adrenaline-charged lineup of dancehall heavyweights such as the Warlord Bounty Killer, Ninjaman and Vybz Kartel.
The resort town of Ocho Rios is buzzing with talk of the festival. The hotels are booked solid and the business community is bracing for the impact of a galaxy of international stars including high-powered names like UB 40 who are jetting into the island, along with a retinue of international journalists from Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United States that would rival a United Nations conference.
In all, ninety six media houses will cover the landmark event including thirty six U.S. media houses, seven from the UK, six from Canada, two from the Caribbean and at least one from South America. Notables include top magazine Rasta Snob from Italy, Billboard magazine from the US, and Juice/Riddim Magazine from Germany.
"The response so far has been overwhelming and heartening from the international media," Charles Campbell, Director of Production of Reggae Sunsplash 2006, said.
An entire generation of young people who grew up hearing stories about Reggae Sunsplash will now have their chance to make their own 'Splash memories.' These young people, along with journalists and tourists, are set to make a pilgrimage of sorts to revive a festival that meant so much to the growth of reggae music in the vibrant, 1980s. After all, the name, Sunsplash, has become an instant adjective denoting youthful exuberance, great reggae music, and great vibes. The festival also formed the capstone of a landmark era of Jamaica's counter-cultural history, and historians still marvel over estimations from the local police that Dancehall Night in 1988 drew some 54,000 fans in the late 1980s. However, all that success seemed like eons ago.
What are we to make of this new reincarnation of Reggae Sunsplash?
Well, by all indications, the reggae festival, to use a term from the local vernacular, appears as though "it sell off."
"Ticket sales have been going exceptionally well," Mr. Campbell said. "The outlets in Kingston and Ocho Rios are doing much better than our initial forecasts and projections. In fact, we are expecting more tourists than we initially planned for, and this speaks to the enduring appeal of Reggae Sunsplash."
TWO STAGE CONCEPT
Mr. Campbell said that the "venue is up and ready...the art and craft villages are complete, and the concessionaries have taken possession of their stalls, the Sky Deck has been sold out, we are ready to go."
"People are looking forward to seeing how the two-stage concept is going to work," Mr. Campbell said.
The festival which begins today will run through to August 6th. Artistes such as Grammy award winners Beenie Man, Damian Marley, Maxi Priest, UB 40, as well as marquis performers like Mr. Lex, Freddie McGregor and Shinehead are expected to take the stage over the next few days. The internationally acclaimed reggae band UB 40 will be making its first local appearance in Jamaica at this year's Reggae Sunsplash.
"Six tonnes of UB 40 freightage has arrived for their show, and 59 hours of music is set to roll. As Beenie said, take a bus, take a boat, take a cart and get down here before you miss history in the making," Towa Beer, Revenue Generation and Special Events Manager of Cable and Wireless Ltd., said.