MARTES 21 DE NOVIEMBRE - SANTANA 27 - Bolueta - BILBAO

El "1er Autumn roots festival de Bilbo" es una propuesta independiente
y autónoma dentro del mundo de los festivales urbanos.Sin ningún tipo
de ayuda institucional  nace con la intención de cubrir la actualidad
de las mejores bandas  de reggae a nivel internacional
En esta primera edición esta actualidad vendrá cubierta por las
actuaciones de la histórica banda jamaicana  "The Gladiators"
comandada por Al Griffiths (hijo del convaleciente Albert Griiffiths)
,representando el "old school reggae", y por el jamaicano "Anthony-B"
,el rey del new danhall , encargado de representar, junto a su banda ,
el llamado "new roots reggae".Dentro de la actualidad estatal "Ben
Jammin`" (ingles afincado en Barcelona) presentara lo que sera su
primer larga duración acompañado por uno de los soundsystems mas
inquietos y activos actualmente "Nyahbingi soundsystem".Y como
testimonio de la escena vasca tendremos a "Deckopter selector", nombre
sobre el que se esconde "Oscar Pereda", habitual colaborador de
multiples proyectos de la escena afro-vasca
Todo esto tendrá lugar el DIA 21 noviembre en la sala Santana 27 de
Bolueta (Bilbo) a partir de las 20:30

Horarios de actuaciones

20:30-DECKOPTER selector(EH)
21:30 THE GLADIATORS (jamaica)
23:00 BEN JAMMIN' backed by NYAHBINGI sound system (Barcelona)
00-30 ANTHONY B (jamaica)
02:00 (open microphone).

THE GLADIATORS

Roots Rock Reggae!
The GLADIATORS are in the arena since 1967, date when Albert Griffiths
formed the band of which the name was suggested for him in a bus by a
traveller that had just seen the movie Ben Hur. The idea of these men
that fought for their liberty, a little to the picture of fight for
them against Babylone, seduces immediately the rastas and stick
besides again today to the hardness of Jamaïca.

This is to this period that they had their first hit « Hello Carol »
and that they establish their name on the local market, from this
notoriety beginning they produce true gems that will become as much
classics such that « Roots Natty » or « Bongo Red » and parallel
Albert Griffiths installed himself as session musician « house » to
the great Studio One and play for the artists recording in Jamaica as
The Ethiopians , Burning Spear,Mighty Diamonds or John Holt.

In 1976 their career becomes international itself thanks to the
signature with Virgin of the legendary Trenchtown Mix Up that compiles
most of their best titles (Bongo Red becomes for example Mix Up).
During some years the GLADIATORS divide the top of the poster in the
environment of the reggae with artists as U-Roy, Aswad or Toots & the
Maytals and produce several albums even at first years 80 where two
major events marked the beginning of a black period. The last album
with Virgin was produced and remixed to their unawareness by Eddy
Grant in a too commercial spirit and that failed the discredit
lives-to-live of them public of basis, the height for one of the
pillars of the roots reggae rock !

Next the death of Bob Marley in 1981 created such a shock in the world
of the reggae that a lot of record companies took advantage to rid of
their artists the less «docile » and the GLADIATORS were among those.

If they have therefore known a certain crossing of the desert on the
recording plan in roaming of labels in labels they continued to
compose big classics of the roots reggae and especially to turn
untiringly through the world, always giving the best of themselves on
stage and proving that they are without protest one of the first real
Roots Rock Reggae band.


For example Albert Griffiths always lives in the country, in the hills
of St Elizabeth where he was born and where one feels again the
vibrations of deep Jamaïque, far tumulte of Kingston. And this is this
type warm and sincere mood brawl to the energy that they develop on
scene that one rediscovers on their last CD « Something a gwaan »
(translation of « something is going on » in jamaïcain patois),
recorded largely to Tuff Gong it fine studio of Bob Marley. Certainly
the best album they produced since a long time and which they will
come to present in their European tour the 21st of november in Bilbao

ANTHONY B
Anthony B (born Keith Blair) is the living personification of Afrikan
consciousness in Reggae. His single "Nah vote again" was a major
factor in making the Jamaican elections of Thursday, December 18 1997,
the most peaceful one since the insidious cancer of gun violence was
introduced in West and Central Kingston, prior to the elections of
1967. Like his hero, Peter Tosh, the most revolutionary of the Wailing
Wailers, he is an uncompromising Pan Afrikanist, in the tradition of
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jamaica's first national hero and the founder
and leader of the largest Afrikan organization ever, the Universal
Negro Improvement Association and Afrikan Communities League, U.N.I.A.
and A.C.L.

The traditional route of most Afrikan singers is via the church and
Anthony B is no exception. Growing up in Clarks Town in the parish of
Trelawny (a parish noted for the heroic Afrikan freedom fighters, the
Maroons, who defeated the English military), his Revivalist
grandmother and Seventh Day Adventist mother, immersed him in the
singing, call and response and clapping mechanics of rural Jamaica. In
this rural environment that Afrikan culture is best found and
preserved in Jamaica, not Kingston nor urban St. Andrew. Like Bob
Marley, Peter Tosh, The Maytals, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, Twinkle
Brothers, the Clarendonians and countless other Jamaican Stars,
Anthony B honed his vocal skills in the church and school choirs and
then entered the secular world. His deejaying debut was on the local
sound system Shaggy Hi-Power. Moving to Portmore in the parish of St.
Catharine in 1988, the musically keen teen hooked up with other
aspiring teenage deejays, Determine, Mega Banton, Ricky General and
Terror Fabulous on Lovers Choice Sound. Other Portmore acts that he
knew or flexed with were Little Devon, Agony Polish, Cobra, Baby
Wayne, Grindsman, Ronnie Thwaites, Professor Nuts and others. He
steadfastly refused to deejay girl lyrics when they were ruling the
roost in the early nineties.

Patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait. In
combination with Little Devon (the Half Pint sound-a-like singer) he
made his debut single "The living is hard" on the Wizard label in
1993. Anthony B tried King Jammys, Black Scorpio and other studio
producers after but none saw fit to help plant musical corn of the
budding genius. Undeterred he was looking for a break at Black Scorpio
studio one day when Little Devon introduced him to Afrocentric
producer of Garnett "Mama Africa" Silk fame, Richard "Bello" Bell of
Star Trail Label fame. The rest is history or blackstory !

Recordings and releases followed quickly and his first hit was
"Repentance time". The bigger hits "Fire pon Rome", "Rumour" and "Raid
di barn "followed in quick pursuit and his landmark debut album " Real
Revolutionary " was released to popular acclaim in 1996. Late 1997 his
second worldwide album "UniversaL STRUGGLE "  was released and again
excellence is consistent. The album is one of the best in Reggae for
1997 and 1998. Lyrically, thematically and rhythmically versatile, the
album encapsulates Afrikan consciousness and the Peter Tosh-like
deliveries and clarity of vocals are indelibly present throughout.

He was the most devastating deejay at Reggae Summits 1;997, at
Catherine Hall in Montage Bay, Jamaica - a consummate performer.
Anthony B, indeed another Reggae king in full musical swing !! Y
father use to make it up as a drink in Jamaica.

BEN JAMMIN'
Reconocido por su gran versatilidad ante el micrófono, este popular mc
(natural de Brighton y de adopción barcelonesa), es uno de los
singjays más respetados por público y medios de comunicación. Sus
continuas apariciones y colaboraciones junto a artistas de la talla de
Morodo, Professor Angel Dust, Mucho Muchacho o Chulito Camacho entre
otros hacen de él el raggamuffer por excelencia la escena estatal. Su
primer LP en solitario, "The Truth" (a punto de ver la luz), marcará
un antes y un después en la carrera de Ben Jammin', que ya prepara su
gira de presentación junto a su banda habitual, los Ranking Soldiers.

NYAHBINGI SOUND SYSTEM
En contacto siempre con la actualidad musical jamaicana, Nyahbingi
Sound System es una de las formaciones más respetadas de la incipente
escena dancehall reggae estatal. Se presenta como uno de los
colectivos más fuertes, pudiendo ofrecer en sus sesiones en directo,
una perfecta mezcla de sonidos jamaicanos así como colaboraciones
junto a reconocidos mcs del género.

Esta formación barcelonesa ha logrado ser uno de los primeros sounds
estatales en cruzar las fronteras del país para actuar en varias
ciudades europeas. Así pues, Nyahbingi Sound System ha compartido
escenario y cartel con artistas nacionales de la talla de La Puta
Opepé, Arianna Puello, Morodo, La Mala Rodriguez, Mr Rango o Frank T;
e internacionales como The Wailers, Buju Banton, Burning Spear,
Skatalites, Jimmy Cliff, Mad Professor o Stone Love.

En la extensa colección de discos del sound system, podemos encontrar
producciones propias y exclusivas cortadas en vinilo expresamente para
la difusión única en sus sesiones en directo (los llamados dubplates),
a cargo de reconocidos artistas internacionales. Nyahbingi Sound
System combina en directo sesiones llenas de ritmos jamaicanos
(dancehall, new roots, rub-a-dub, rocksteady, reggae...) junto a
diferentes mcs, tanto nacionales como internacionales. Su gran
versatilidad ha permitido que este sound system actúe regularmente en
festivales de música negra, música electrónica, músicas del mundo,
rock, hiphop... dando siempre un toque de originalidad y frescura.

Nyahbingi Sound System lo forman: Mr Pep, Rochie y Senior Bombo.

DECKOPTER es el nombre utilizado por Gaizka Pereda para esta
ocasion.productor y dj afincado en Getxo, ha realizado diferentes trabajos
con artistas como Afrika, Sorkun.....