Jimmy Cliff and the Jolly Boys for Rototom Sunsplash 2014
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The legendary Jimmy Cliff and the Jolly Boys headline the Rototom Sunsplash 2014 line up
>> Rototom’s organizers confirm the first artists for the Reggae festival held in Benicàssim, Spain from 16th to 23rd of August. Global star of Jamaican music, Jimmy Cliff, and the icons of mento Jolly Boys, and UK ambassador of Reggae Dancehall David Rodigan MBE complete the first announcement for the line up of the 21st Rototom. Festival tickets are still 140 € and the 2 to a 7 days mini-tickets start from 60 €
Benicàssim | Thursday, March 6th, 2014
Rototom Sunsplash sets the foundation of its twenty-first edition, to be held from 16 to 23 August 2014 in Benicàssim, with some of the the most genuine and influential Jamaican sounds to have stood the test of time over the last 50 years. Three living legends; Jimmy Cliff, the first major international star of modern Jamaican music , the band Jolly Boys, the absolute mento icon from the ’50s, and British David Rodigan MBE, one of the main ambassadors of reggae and dancehall worldwide, will perform at the biggest Reggae festival in Europe. Tickets for the whole eight days of Rototom 2014 still on sale at 140 € until 13th March, 180 € with camping included, while the mini – tickets (2 to 7 days) are also available with prices ranging between 60 and 175 € .
Jimmy Cliff was one of the earliest stars of Jamaican music to gain acknowledgement outside the borders of the island, at a time when Reggae was very much still in its infancy. He began in the mid-ska era with hits like “Hurricane Hattie,”“Dearest Beverley,”‘ “King of Kings” and “Miss Jamaica”. After successes with key reggae hits like “Wonderful world,”“Beautiful People” and “Vietnam” in 1971 he had the opportunity to play, with great effectiveness, the lead role in “The Harder They Come “ the Perry Henzell film which played an important role in popularising Jamaica and its music all over the world thanks to a fabulous soundtrack featuring songs such as “Harder They Come” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want” . With peaks as “Reggae Night” and his cover version of “I Can See Clearly Now”by Johnny Nash, his career is an outstanding example of artistic longevity. His 2012 album “Rebirth”produced by Tim Armstrong of Rancid won a Grammy.
In the early sixties, before ska, there began the adventure which would end in the modern genre of music from the island of Jamaica. In contrast to the sounds coming from the U.S. at the time was el menton, the local variant of calypso . Formed in 1945, the Jolly Boys are themost famous followers of this tradition and one of the oldest Jamaican musical groups still in business. They entertained Port Antonio in the forties at parties organized by the actor Errol Flynn on his farm on the naval island in a manner in keeping with the name of the group. Through ongoing performances in the hotels on the north coast of the island and several lineup changes , the Jolly Boys reached us in the seventies with Albert Minott on lead vocals . In their latest album “Great Expectations”they take on a more pop/rock style such as the likes of Amy Winehouse, The Doors , New Order and Lou Reed, among others, and have had the opportunity to bring their music to the general public via a recent world tour as a support act for Sade.
His long and illustrious career began in the late seventies and continues today in a truly amazing way thanks to his show on the radio station BBC Xtra and his constant search for good music, including crossovers between electronic genres and dancehall creating exciting new styles. As a radio DJ David Rodigan MBE has set unprecedented standards in the past with the reception in the studio of some of the true reggae greats including Augustus Pablo, Bob Marley and Dennis Brown. In the golden age of dancehall he shared moments with Jamaican superstars like Stone Love, Bodyguard or Kilimanjaro in dance halls and countless clashes. Jamaicans love the passion and skill that he has always shown towards his music as evidenced whenever he takes to the stage, especially during clashes, of which many around the world is an absolute master. The prestigious label Ministry Of Sound used him as the compiler of their latest compilation “Masterpiece”.
