Ottawa Reggae Festival in August

[bradm]

http://www.ottawasun.com/Showbiz/Music/2008/05/12/5537341-sun.html

Music fans can add one more festival to their to do list. On Aug. 23, the city will open its doors to the jammin' sounds of the city's first reggae festival.

The brainchild of 23-year-old Jamaican Benjamin Williams, who came to the city with his mother eight years ago, his company, Global Alliance Productions, is spearheading the festival, which has taken three years to pull together.

So far Williams and his business partner have arranged for 18 performers from around the world to play at the one-day event at Lebreton Flats.

He's already signed one of the world's most successful reggae artists, Maxi Priest, who will be coming from England to attend.

William's website, ottawareggaefestival.com, touts Maxi Priest as the "greatest selling living reggae performer in the world."

Other reggae notables include Canada's own Darren O'Brien, who is better known as Snow. Snow's first single, Informer, was a hit in the 1990s and won the Canadian performer a Juno for best reggae recording.

Other artists lined up and expected to perform at the festival are Half Pint, Collie Buddz, Trilla U, Friendlyness & The Human Rights Band, Ras Lee, Korexion, Empress Minott, King Ali Baba, J. Stone, Stacia, and Eyesus.

"I feel there are a lot of people who like reggae and appreciate it so we might as well have a festival," Williams said. "It will be a one-day, all-day reggae party."

Tickets for the festival are $35 for the day if purchased before July 1. After that tickets are $45. Williams, who said this is the first festival he's organized, expects about 7,000 to attend the show.

A portion of any profit the festival makes will be donated toward sickle cell anemia research, a disease that affects the movement of blood cells, eventually depriving tissue of oxygen.

He embraced the idea after his partner's daughter was diagnosed with the disease.

Aloha,

Brad

[Irie Guy]

greatest selling living reggae performer in the world.....

Wow sounds like a political spin. I can think of a ton of other performers with a better legacy than Maxi Priest. But the notion that he is "Greatest Selling Living" would be a hard one to challenge.

Interesting though might have to make a second trip to Ottawa this summer for this one.

[bradm]

I did some digging into their website, and something doesn't sit right: performers applying to the festival have to kick down some bucks:

To ensure we receive only serious inquiries, we require a fee of $200 to enter the festival. This cheque, payable to Ottawa Reggae Festival, must accompany your application. This cheque includes a non-refundable $25 for processing fee, the additional $175 applies to performance fee and will only be deposited if the confirmed performer(s) skip their performance time. The performance fee will other wise be returned to the applicant after the event. Applicants wishing to withdraw from the Festival can do so in writing, an additional $75 will be charged for applicants wishing to withdraw after July 12, 2008.

Is that common for festivals?

Aloha,

Brad

[Irie Guy]

Doesnt sound too right to me either. But what do I know. Jay can probably chime in on that. They are probably using the fact that Maxi Priest is so well known on the production side of things that aspiring artists will be lining up to have a chance to share a stage with the Worlds Greatest.

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

Snow??? doesn't wanna make me shell out $s for this thing.

[Velvet]

I hope this goes well.

[Hux]

If they have food vending and there is roti, I am IN IN IN.

[Northern Wish]

I am very surprised that Jaydawg isn't involved with this somehow........ That would at least ensure some decent bands. Maxi Priest and Snow, seriously is it 19 to the 95 all over again yo?

[AD]

I predict this event doesn't happen.

[Northern Wish]

I'm with ya AD.

[bONES]

Collie Buddz :thumbup:

[Velvet]

I agree with AD, such that I wouldn't dream of buying advance tix, but like I say, I hope it goes well. An annual reggae festival that's done right would be a great addition to the Ottawa summer lineup.

[Velvet]

And as for critiquing the lineup, the first Bluesfest lineup was easily critiquable but it grew well.

[AD]

I hope it goes well too - forgot to add the positive to my first post. Oops! Velvet said it better (as per usual)

[Davey Boy 2.0]

{{{Rasta vibage}}}

[ike]

I did some digging into their website, and something doesn't sit right: performers applying to the festival have to kick down some bucks:

To ensure we receive only serious inquiries, we require a fee of $200 to enter the festival. This cheque, payable to Ottawa Reggae Festival, must accompany your application. This cheque includes a non-refundable $25 for processing fee, the additional $175 applies to performance fee and will only be deposited if the confirmed performer(s) skip their performance time. The performance fee will other wise be returned to the applicant after the event. Applicants wishing to withdraw from the Festival can do so in writing, an additional $75 will be charged for applicants wishing to withdraw after July 12, 2008.

Is that common for festivals?

Aloha,

Brad

Reggae acts have bad a reputation for sometimes not showing up. Maybe that has something to do with it?

[rubberdinghy]

Whats up man! hey yo whats up!

Yeah whats goin on here.

Sick an tired of five-oh runnin up on the block here.

You know what Im sayin?

Yo snow, they came around here lookin for you the other day.

Word? word! bust it!

Chorus

Informer, you no say daddy me snow me Ill go blame,

A licky boom boom down.

Detective mon said daddy me snow me stab someone down the lane,

A licky boom boom down.

Informer, you no say daddy me snow me Ill go blame,

A licky boom boom down.

Detective mon said daddy me snow me stab someone down the lane,

A licky boom boom down.

Police them come an now they blow down me door,

One him come crawl through, through my window,

So then they put me in the back the car at the station,

From that point on me reach my destination,

When the destination reached, it was the east detention, where them

Whipped down me pants, looked up me bottom, so

Chorus

Bigger they are they think they have more power,

Theyre on the phone me say that on (every) hour,

Me for want to use it once an now me call me lover,

Lover who Ill be callin is the one tammy,

An me love her in me heart down to my belly,

Yes me daddy me snow me I feel cool an deadly,

As the one mc shan an the one daddy snow,

Together we-a loveem as a tor-na-do.

Chorus

Listen for me, you better listen for me now.

Listen for me, you better listen for me now.

When me rockin the microphone me rock it steady,

Yes sir, daddy me snow me are the article done.

But in the in an the out of a dance them they say where you come from,

People them say you come from jamaica,

But me born an raised in the ghetto thats the one I want you to know,

Pure black people mon thats all I mon know.

Yeah me shoes are tear up an me toes used to show,

Where me born in on the one toronto, so

Chorus

Come with a nice young lady. intelligent,

Yes shes gentle an irie.

Everywhere me go, me never left her at all.

Yes, its daddy snow me are the roam dance mon.

Roam between a dancin in a in a nation-a.

You never know say daddy me snow me are the boom shakata.

Me never lay-a down flat in that one cardboard box.

Yes say me daddy me snow me Ill go reachin at the top, so...

Chorus

Why would he?

Me sittin round cool with my dibbie dibbie girl,

Police knock my door,

Lick up my pal,

Rough me up an I cant do a thing

Pick up my line, when my telephone ring.

Take me to the station,

Black up my hands.

Trail me down, cuz Im hangin with the snowman,

What Im gonna do,

Im backed an Im trapped,

Slap me in the face an took all o my gap.

They have no clues an they wanna get warmer,

But shan wont turn informer!

[rubberdinghy]

what?

[Irie Guy]

what?

It's Snow's Informer. That song was huge. I think at one point it was called the biggest selling reggase song ever.

[Jay Funk Dawg]

The House of David Gang has applied to play this festival - we've submitted a demo CD - of course we didn't pay $200 to apply - that's a bit crazy!

I hope we get to be there - we're working as a back up band for many artists in Toronto - so we've got a reggae road show - featuring King Selah, Tanya P, Black Child, Michael Garrick, Auresia, Mr. Flowers, High Plains Drifter and Empress Deequa.

I'll keep you posted to how this all plays out!

[SaggyBalls]

I think that a deposit would make musicians show up...

I'm a bit suprised though...don't performers get paid to play a festival?