From Friday 4 to Sunday 6 August took place in Bordeaux the twentieth edition of the famous Reggae Sun Ska Festival. Just Focus was there, and invites you to come back to the biggest edition of the emblematic figure of the reggae scene, whether French or international.
You were warned, and it seems that the call has been heard: nearly 100,000 festival-goers poured on the city of Bordeaux last weekend. Not enough to frighten the organizers and the people of Bordeaux, everything seemed totally controlled. An event pass bought (only 3 euros!), two tram's later and here we are in the heart of the campus and administrative buildings of the University of Bordeaux. All rehabilitated for the occasion in gigantic space reserved for the festival.
A quick but controlled start
Smiling volunteers and a relaxed audience, this is surely what made it possible to forget the long queue under the Bordeaux sun in order to be able to exchange his pass for the famous bracelet, key to each control. Rather accustomed to smaller streams of spectators, we can still salute the efficiency and speed of the volunteers despite the heat and intense pace.
Regulars will tell you, nothing better to get in the mood than sleeping at the official campsite. If here again it is necessary to be patient and organized – the locations are free – the game is worth the candle. Depending on the campsite you choose there was even a dub scene, to be able to enjoy even outside the opening hours of the festival. Only downside, only one of the two campsites had showers, and the information on drinking water points left something to be desired.
Shower or not, once the excitement of the installation subsided, everyone was waiting for the opening of the festival enclosure with firm feet.
An explosive Friday night
And the evening started very strong, from 6:40 pm we could already see Hippocampe Fou and his sidekick Céo. A scorching set and one of the most eventful audiences of the festival, the tone was set. An almost legendary evening where the Marseille rapper of heart, Keny Arkana and the impressive set of the English UB40. We take the opportunity to test one of the many food stalls -from the four corners of the globe-, we breathe a big blow and that's it we understand that the festival is launched.
Yanis Odua and Artikal Band (later joined by Keny Arkana for a song), as well as the famous Danakil, ended the evening in a memorable way: the Natty Dread and One Love stage saw all the colors.
For an equally busy Saturday
Saturday was indeed the day not to be missed, there was something for everyone. Dub fans were able to move from the Dub Foundation stage and come and enjoy Panda Dub's set on the big Natty Dread stage. If the sequence of songs was a little hesitant and if the fans are still waiting for Smile Is The Key, the flagship song of the Frenchman, not to worry: the atmosphere was at the rendezvous.
But if we listen to the festival-goers, the highlight of this evening, or even this edition for the most enthusiastic, is indeed the passage of Tryo on the One Love stage. Accustomed to the French reggae scenes, we know that the group had already been at the programming of the 2013 edition, and that their passage had been canceled because of bad weather… But this year it was sunny, hot, and the public did not lose a crumb of the cover of the biggest titles of the group.
Sunday, last but not least
There were much fewer people for the last day of the festival, something surely due to the beginning of the week the next day or the less attractive programming for a part of the younger audience, perhaps coming for the big names of the line-up.
The evening was nevertheless rather busy, starting with the passage of La Rue Kétanou, which like Tryo, was able to revisit all their most famous titles. And the remaining audience was still able to enjoy Ky-Mani Marley, accustomed to Reggae Sun Ska, as well as the British band Steel Pulse, still in shape.
No one will forget either the last set of the programming of the twentieth edition, led by the one and only Patrice. A long-awaited passage, and which almost froze the moment in time. No doubt, the two main scenes that evening witnessed a lot of emotions, guided by Rastafari flags.
In short, and despite the non-exhaustive nature of this postponement, the twentieth edition of the Reggae Sun Ska festival was the edition not to be missed. Lovers of Reggae, Dub, Ska or even Rap, any public could spend a moment worthy of the name, as the line-up was rich. From tattoos to ateba, t-shirts and many associative stands: newcomers and regulars had enough to make good memories.
We keep the memory of a festival without bungling, with a secure enclosure and a good-natured public. We assure you, we will be there next year!
Photos by Lena A. and Lisa F.
