No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveReggae Concert Delivers Direct from Jamaica

Reggae Concert Delivers Direct from Jamaica

THE first major reggae event of this year, Reggae Roots at the Polideportivo Monserrat in Alajuela, was a smashing success, as more than 40,000 fans were able to feel the rhythm of this music in their veins Feb. 21.

Fans, who were lined up patiently since before the sun came out, were duly rewarded when the gates opened precisely at noon and to everyone’s surprise, the concert started on time! Security was said to be tight. Upon arrival, however, I found this to not be the case. Though I entered with absolutely nothing, I saw other people enter with knapsacks, which security personnel didn’t even open. A brief feel was enough, apparently.

The surprise opening act was a local hip-hop dance group. Next on stage was the Tappa Tap Kru (Banton, Toledo and Kike), then Radicales (Tapon, H-uba and Ghetto) and, to close the local segment, the renowned roots group, Mekatelyu. Opening the international segment was

Inner Circle

from Jamaica, followed by more Spanish reggae from Los Cafres from Argentina. Then the Big Act, the sole reason I went to the concert.

T.O.K. – also from Jamaica – for the first time ever in Costa Rica, came out on stage. For a little more than an hour, these four young black men with shoulder-length locks, dressed in white shirts and black striped sweatpants had the crowd jumping and shouting and waving madly whatever they could find.

At this point, people in the crowd started throwing what appeared to be empty plastic water bottles in the air, which sort of looked cool as they floated and danced about in the evening wind. To my horror I was informed later that not all the bottles flying around were actually empty. Some of them still contained liquid, and apparently some of them had even been maliciously filled with dirt, which obviously created a safety hazard.

The lack of oversized football and basketball jerseys, baggy pants and brandname footwear was unusual. In a crowd I assumed to be mostly dancehall fans, everyone was dressed for a day in the park.

HALFWAY through the concert, before the Jamaicans held the mics, more than 30,000 bottles of water alone had already been consumed, and the food stands had completely run out of beverages and had to send for more.

The concert finished around 8 p.m., after Buju Banton, another Jamaican, had spent approximately an hour and a half on stage. By this time the crowd was weary, and he didn’t get as much response as the previous group, though he is the more famous of the two. This too was because his presentation contained various songs that a large percentage of the audience seemed not familiar with.

Upcoming events include a concert by Sean Paul on March 20. For more info call 253-9696.

 

Trending Now

El Salvador Anti-Corruption Lawyer Ruth López Transferred to Harsh Prison

The humanitarian organization Cristosal denounced on Saturday that Salvadoran lawyer Ruth López, head of its anti-corruption unit and considered a "prisoner of conscience" by...

Costa Rica Introduces New ₡500 Coin: Old One No Longer Valid

Visitors to Costa Rica this month should be aware of an important change to the country’s currency. As of Tuesday, July 1, the old...

Costa Rica’s Congress Expands Organized Crime Probe, Summons Ex-Presidents

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly is intensifying its investigation into alleged links between public officials and organized crime. Earlier today, the Special Permanent Commission on...

Costa Rica’s Eyelash Viper Snake Is One of the Most Beautiful

There are at least 141 different species of snakes in Costa Rica. With that large number of species packed into such a tiny nation,...

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...

El Salvador Sentences Ex-Military Chiefs for 1982 Murder of Dutch Journalists

A court in El Salvador sentenced three former military chiefs to 60 years in prison on Thursday for the murder of four Dutch journalists...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica