Virada Cultural surprises reggae lovers with heavyweight acts, and Big Youth steals the show!

Virada Cultural 2010 had a special flavor for lovers of Jah's rhythm. All because someone had the good taste – and why not say audacity – to bring icons of the style to the nostalgic Alameda Barão de Limeira. Besides the unusual, desired and celebrated "jam" between Cidade Negra and Ras Bernardo – the first show in years with the former vocalist – the great Pablo Moses, the wonderful Fully Fullwood Band and legendary Clinton Fearon, former bassist of the Gladiators, brightened this "Virada" that will surely be one of the best in history (even if new), and we hope it lasts a long time. However, this article aims to highlight the unprecedented presence of a "rocker" who stole the show.

BIG YOUTH

The choice of Jamaican musician and DJ Manley Augustus Buchanan – Big Youth – as the main attraction on the second and final day of the event shook the reggae fans on duty. On the stage dedicated to fans of reggae, ska, raggamuffin, dancehall and other rhythms, feelings came to the surface. Youth, at 61 years old with his Lion of Judah hanging on his chest, displayed vitality, joy and great enthusiasm throughout the show, and at no moment stopped dancing, releasing his "scorchers" and shouts, shaking his gray dreadlocks and opening his beautiful and famous golden smile to the audience, who ecstatic and in perfect sync responded with applause and requests for classics like "Movin' On", "Train to Rhodesia", "Screaming Target" and "Hit the Road Jack", Ray Charles' cover. Accompanied by competent musicians like Tony Chin, guitarist of "Fully" who didn't miss the chance to sit in with the star, Big delighted the crowd with his songs and the traditional positive messages like: "Take care of yourselves, love and celebrate life, always do the right thing, do good and everything else is permitted... may Jah bless us tonight. Rastaaaaa!". His latest and surprising work, "Musicology", was also performed with great sonic imposition, which was spine-tingling, raising impressions from the audience of hearing live the no less legendary Sly & Robbie. For the record, Sly Dumbar actually participated on the album "Musicology", and for that alone it deserves research.

THE JAMAICAN DJs

Big Youth is one of those rare artists. Even having started his career in the late 70s, he belongs to a generation of "singers" immortalized by the great star U-Roy (his mentor), but who have existed for a long time in Jamaica. Jamaican DJs (in this case an abbreviation of DeeJay and not Disc Jockey) were responsible for promoting and animating parties held by Sound Systems in the Kingston ghettos, rhyming and adding small vocal effects over the bases played on the sound equipment, achieving great success among the local population and even in England. The first deejay, though not very well known, was Count Machuki of Tom the Great Sebastian (the first Sound System known) who still played R&B and a bit of Ska. From this popular culture emerged various "rhymers" (or toasters), among whom we can highlight King Stitt and U-Roy who started at Sir Coxsone Dodd's Sound System (Downbeat the Ruler), later working with King Tubby at Duke Reid's Sound System, already in the dub era, exploding as stars in Jamaica and influencing an entire generation of American artists who used the Jamaican "deejayin" style to develop rap (yes, rap only exists because of Jamaica!).

"FROM GHETTO TO GHETTO"

Affectionately nicknamed the "Marijuana Stage", the structure was set up on Alameda Barão de Limeira among dozens of motorcycle shops, small decaying hotels and some not-so-rare robust buildings and mansions rich in adornments that, even abandoned and vandalized, are witnesses to stories of this area that was once one of the most elegant and exclusive in the city. Today it is frequented by hurried delivery riders, African immigrants and many crack addicts expelled from the neighboring Cracolândia, who wander like zombies through the streets of the region. From ghetto to ghetto, Jamaica and Brazil have much more in common than strong African influence. The bass line and echoes of dub or funk heard on their corners, poverty and joy despite so many difficulties bring us closer. The atmosphere during the performance was calm with no incidents. Amid the crowd, relaxed police officers provided security in a place where many children, couples, elderly people, families and especially young people from the most diverse corners and social classes could unite, share and celebrate good and fun moments before one of the most charismatic and important musicians in reggae history. Your blessing Big Youth, put Brazil on your route!

EVENT IMAGES

Click here to see some images of the event. Photos and description by: Renato Luiz Ferreira Photojournalist/Researcher phone: +55 (11) 9167.6474 Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/renatoluizferreira Jamaican DJs by: Ricardo "Rudeboy" Padula