Ever since its inception in 2016, the Goa Sunsplash, a music festival that explores and celebrates the
reggae music and culture has grown by leaps and bounds. It became a much-loved
3-day music festival that people of Goa and the visiting tourists eagerly wait
for.
The festival will be held at aBeach Resort
in Mandrem from January 10 to 12.
With the ethos of a holistic lifestyle and
culture experience, it’s a festival that reflects reggae at its best.
It is the only festival in India to focus
exclusively on reggae and its sub-genres, the festival has been instrumental in
bolstering the reach of the reggae community in India, and one of the reasons
behind’s the festival’s reason to become a three-day festival.
The festival over the years has hosted
many reggae legends – like Anthony B and Channel One Soundsystem in 2019, The
Mad Professor in 2018 – and 2020 is no different.
One of Britain’s most influential reggae
singers, Macka B is a veteran with more than 19 albums to his name. A
practisingRastaman and a long-time collaborator with Mad Professor, his music
is based around the political and spiritual message of the religion, while
bringing elements from other branches of reggae like roots and dub.
While reggae fans are familiar with his
music and insanely unique delivery, the world at large was introduced to him
through his “Medical Mondays” web-series where he shared his ever-growing
knowledge of bodily health and veganism. One of the episodes – where he raps on
the health benefits of cucumbers – “Cucumba” went viral, racking up millions of
views.
The
first all-female reggae sound system in Australasia, Housewife’s Choice will
make its debut in Goa this year. Firm favourites and a mainstay of the
Australian reggae and dancehall scene, one half of Housewife’s Choice – Bellyas
– played one of the first Reggae Rajahs parties back in 2009, and now returns
with her partner Miss Fee to play their signature high-spirited style.
The Turbans are a British-based fusion band whose “music from
many where” switches from the Balkans to the Middle East and from flamenco to
North Africa. The members of The Turbans features musicians with roots in
Turkey, Bulgaria, Israel, Iran, Greece, Spain, and England, and their
high-octane music draws on Balkan, klezmer, Gypsy, Greek, Turkish and African
beats, styles, sounds and instruments.
London-based Earl Gateshead is a name most
reggae heads around the familiar with. His series, ‘Reggae Nights’ at the
now-defunct Plastic People received worldwide attention and Earl was the first
reggae DJ to play at Fabric, The Ministry of Sound and Space in Ibiza, probably
the world’s three greatest nightclubs.
Another name that’s bound to get reggae
heads excited is O.B.F (Original Bass Foundation) & Charlie P. OBF are one
of the most respected sound systems out of France, known for the intensity of
their tunes and energy and they come to Goa with English MC and their long-time
collaborator, Charlie P of the Scottish dub reggae crew, Mungo’s Hi Fi fame.
There are also a few artists without which Goa Sunsplash
wouldn’t be the festival it is – Hyderabad-based DJ and radio presenter Dakta
Dub; Goa-based French selector Rudy Roots; rising star of the French reggae
scene, Naaman – who has played every edition of Goa Sunsplash – and the
festival’s own, 10,000 Lions Sound System.
It’s not just music that people have to look forward to. Like
last year, there will be a dancehall camp before the festival, followed by a
showcase at Goa Sunsplash.
The lure of Goa’s beaches and sunny weather lends itself beautifully to reggae, and the festival wants to do its best to reduce its environmental impact as much as it can.