DEKALIBERATION: The 10th year of the Bob Marley Fest
In a metropolis where the Jamaican tri-color and reggae are ubiquitous --- seen painted jeepneys, on shirts and bags; tamhats worn by people of all ages; weekly reggae radio programs; and the occasional passerby humming “I Shot The Sheriff --- Cebu has become the hub for reggae music, and all things reggae. And so it’s no surprise that the reggae revolution culminates its decade-long celebration with Dekaliberation: The 10th year of The Bob Marley Fest, on March 19, 2005, at the Offroads Café parking area, in Panagdait, Mabolo, Cebu City.
This year’s celebration promises to be the grandest, yet. After the big success of last year’s festival, the 10th anniversary is no less than a celebration of music, art and cultural concern and freedom, as deeply imbibed by the music of Bob Marley. More bands are expected to take part in the celebration. The current line of reggae musicians and bands has grown since the genesis of the annual festival. Bands like Herbs, Bambu Spliff, Jr. Kilat, Budbrowniz and their fellow artists have initiated the journey to bringing reggae music among the Visayan islands and in Mindanao, to new levels of musicality, artistry and originality.
Since its inception in 2000, The Harambe Foundation, Inc. has continued to bring reggae music to the mainstream, as well as creating awareness and advocating social and ecological-related causes. What started as a tribute concert in memory of the Rastafarian legend back in 1994, when the Jah People Socity held its first Bob Marley Festival, has now bloomed into a larger group composed of bands, individual artists, and reggae enthusiasts that not only organizes the annual fest and other yearly events, but also acts as a mother organization where bands can converge to promote reggae music and the dissemination of the core values embedded in both in the music and its culture. Apart from the annual fest, Harambe also organizes a Christmas benefit concert dubbed “Rasta Claus,” where entrance passes are usually ‘sold’ not with hard currency but with donations of rice, foodstuffs, or old clothing and anything else concert goers can bring along. The food and supplies gathered are then distributed to the urban poor, after the concert.
Reggae music among the Visayan islands and in Mindanao has experienced a revival of sorts, with more bands from across these two regions coming to participate in the annual celebration. The thrust, as Budoy, of Jr. Kilat, and one of the prime movers behind the coming celebration, is always an emphasis on music artistry and originality. Naturally, Marley classics are the norm for the event, relates Budoy. But he quickly adds that the surge of new bands and the strive for original music and composition is something he is excited about. “Dili lang covers ang kasagarang madungog nimo karun, hilabi na nga ang kada banda naghimu ug dako nga effort nga makasuwat ug makatukar ug ilahang kaugalingong mga kanta,” says Budoy. “Makalipay ug kaayo ni para sa reggae diri sa Bisayas, diri sa Pilipinas.”
Dekaliberation, the 10th Bob Marley Fest, will begin at 2PM. Tickets are available at Php50 from 2 to 9:59PM. From 10PM till dawn, tickets are tagged at Php100 each. For tickets, inquiries and particulars about the celebration, one may call or text Errol Marabiles at 0920.635.2003.
