TOOTS GIVES THUMPS UP TO THE INAUGURAL “ONE WORLD SKA & ROCKSTEADY MUSIC FESTIVAL!”

BY RICHARD JOHNSON—-

Reggae pioneer Toots Hibbert is pleased with the inaugural One World Ska and Rocksteady Music Festival held at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St Andrew on Saturday.

Known for energetic performances and monster hits such as Bam Bam, Pressure Drop, Pomps and Pride, 54-46 and Sweet and Dandy, he was among the toasts of the event.

“This festival was such a good thing for the music. I was so happy to perform on this and work with Jingles (organizer Julian Reynolds) to bring everything to life. It was my pleasure,” Hibbert told the Jamaica Observer during a break from a recording session yesterday.

 “It is a great place for these artists and this music. It shows that the music… Ska and rocksteady, is really great stuff and from back then, but can stand up to the test of time. Young people need to hear these music and see these artists on stage, in order to hear and see what was produced back then and it still sounds great years later,” he continued.

The brainchild of Reynolds’ Sounds and Pressure Foundation, Saturday’s event saw a number of acts from the 1960’s paying homage to two genres — Ska and rocksteady — which have achieved worldwide acclaim.

Among the acts on the bill were Stranger Cole, U-Roy, Leroy Sibbles, Derrick Morgan, Bob Andy and BB Seaton and the Gaylads. The event suffered from low patronage. For many on the ground, this was due to inclement weather days leading up to the festival, with rainfall just hours prior to the start. For others, it was the price for tickets with patrons being asked to spend as much as $3,500 for entry. Hibbert believes efforts must be made to promote the event.

“In order to get people into this festival, we need a lot more promotion. People have to know about it long in advance. Persons will travel to Jamaica to take in a festival like this, but it won’t happen if they are not hearing about it and with good time to plan. I believe Jingles and his team will get it right next time because the concept is a great thing… this is really good stuff,” he said.