Lion (Oliver Harley) and Taili (Thierry Cuvillier) of O-Brothaz Sound System have been working hard at spreading their love of reggae around Taiwan over the last couple of years. In the past, the duo has organized beach music festivals and roots nights at venues like Revolver, but Reggae Downtown will be their first outdoor event to take place in downtown Taipei.
Held at The Station, an outdoor cocktail bar near Taipei Main Station, the event, which takes place on Sept. 26, will see no shortage of chicken wings, kebabs, sausages, paninis and grilled veggies as Lion and Taili spin dancehall, roots and dub. There will also be a stellar selection of imported beer, ciders and wines, along with a lineup of Caribbean cocktails.
“To give you a hint, everything in the Caribbean involves rum,” Lion says.
Photo courtesy of Kaley Emerson
The location at the city center is significant as reggae took root on the streets of Jamaica in the late 1960s and most dances are still held outdoors in the city.
“There is something special about reggae in an open air city environment with people dancing and good food, drinks and vibes, with the occasional artist passing through to share a song on the mic,” Lion tells the Taipei Times.
Having the event during the day was also an important consideration as Lion, who hails from Jamaica, and Taili, who’s originally from France, wanted to share their music with as many people as possible while still maintaining a laid back atmosphere.
“We are planning to recreate this vibe and make that vibe available for the wider public to enjoy, not only partygoers who usually go out at night,” Lion says.
After playing reggae in Taiwan for nearly a decade, Lion says there seems to be greater appreciation of the genre on two fronts. On the dancehall front, which is a faster style of reggae more popular in clubs in Jamaica, Taiwan has been inviting Jamaican dancers to conduct workshops. On the other hand, roots and dub has made somewhat of a comeback at parties across Taiwan after a few years of dormancy.
To Lion, this is a promising sign that Jamaican culture and music is finally becoming recognized across the country.
“All in all, I think people are getting it,” he says. “This is a music to party to or just to chill and ‘hold a vibe,’ as it would be said in Jamaica.”
The good thing about reggae, he adds, is that there are so many different subgenres, that there’s bound to be something for everyone. Although he hopes that people will come to understand that it’s really about making good music accessible to all people, letting loose to the beats and essentially, not putting up airs or caring about what others think.
It’s about “taking the music to the people,” Lion says. “It’s something that is known to reggae lovers but is very rare in Taiwan.”
Also on the bill is Taichung-based reggae musician Sherwyne Splenda, originally from Trinidad. Splenda will be working his way through the crowds to hand the microphone over to other artists in true reggae fashion.
As for the future of reggae in Taiwan, Lion is positive that it will only continue to flourish as more people are exposed to the “vibes.”
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