Burning Spear ADD

Hempress Sativa, Burning Spear & Buju Banton @ Festiville Magazine 2023

06/17/2023 by Gardy Stein

"SOUND THE TRUMPET, SOUND THE HARPS!"

Summer is here, and the above quote by Hempress Sativa rings like a rallying cry to call every off-beat soldier, all spiritual Kings and Queens, to gather around for this year's dose of live Reggae music. Listing 114 Festivals from June to September, our 2023 edition of the Festiville Magazine gives you ample opportunity to join the ranks of like-minded freedom fighters, dancing and singing along to the sounds we all love.

To make sure you are well-equipped for discovering what's out there, we present several reviews of exciting albums that provide this year's sonic ammunition, including Alborosie, aDUBta, Inti, Jah Tung, Glen Washington, Little Roy and Perfect Giddimani. And, since your vigilant minds certainly crave further information, you'll also find enlightening interviews - in addition to their associated reviews - with Gentleman's Dub Club (On A Mission), Inna De Yard (Family Affair), Jah Sun & Sam Gilly (Return To Balance), Rising Tide (Pixel Prison), Rootz Radicals (Together As One) and Tydal Kamau (I Become A Man).

As you can see on the splendid cover, lioness Hempress Sativa receives special attention, talking about her new album Charka, its creation process and deeper meanings in our first ever interview with her. Flanked by the one and only Buju Banton, who releases Born For Greatness in July and tells us about its genesis, as well as veteran Burning Spear, granting us exclusive in-depth insights into his upcoming oeuvre No Destroyer (THE most anticipated roots reggae album of the last few years!), you have some first-class, premium intelligence right here.

Keeping the Rebel Music alive, we also feature a preview of photographer Kate Simon's book Bob Marley & Roots Reggae, who says in the accompanying press release: "I often heard the Wailers say that they were on a mission. Their tour felt unlike any other tour; it felt like a charge of good energy. It was powerful."  

It is exactly this powerful charge of good energy that we look forward to sharing with you, dear readers, on the following pages and before festival stages this summer. In case you are not among the lucky ones who received a print edition of this Festiville Magazine, the online version awaits your eager eyes on our homepage and, while there, you can also browse our event agenda on REGGAEVILLE.com for first-hand news and updates.

While we're usually not bragging about our achievements, the double accolades of receiving the JaRIA Honour Award in 2021 and the IRAWMA Award in 2023 makes us really proud, as it confirms the quality of our continually growing output. Thank you for being part of this success story!

CLICK HERE TO READ & DOWNLOAD FESTIVILLE 2023!