A new music festival was born on Mallorca and last Saturday when the One Love Mallorca Reggae festival brought “The Original Wailers” to perform on the Mediterranean island for their first edition, about 2.000 participants flocked to the capital’s open-air venue Son Fusteret to attend the live event, the organizers –ARRELS in tight collaboration with Trui Espectacles– informed.
Despite temperatures on the island of the Balearic archipelago hit peak these days, the gates to the festival area were opened at 18.30 hours to the sounds of Alex Badalonians, Chronic Sound and Xarlee Green and early birds could keep themselves busy participating in one of the many activities offered for kids -who had a playground area exclusive to themselves- and adults alike. The grown-ups could join the presentation of the Greenpeace campaign “Save the Arctic” or just stroll around the stands which offered a variety of products to buy.
Whoever, however, just rushed to the festival last-minute has made a mistake, or you could as well say, committed the mistake of their lifetime. Before the headliners of the One Love Mallorca Reggae festival were to come on stage, some of the most prominent stars of Spanish Reggae such as are Full Play, Jaume Mas, Hermano L, Lasai and Sr. Wilson delivered excellent shows. After their individual performances, the young Spanish Reggae artists gathered on stage, what came as the moment that best illustrated the message the festival was named after: One Love. A wave of love seemed to spread right into the audience when Sr. Wilson, Lasai, Hermano L and Jaume Mas shared the scene for a while.
Another irie highlight definitely was when “The Original Wailers” -the band led by the famous guitarist Al Anderson, who played guitar for Bob Marley & The Wailers and who is well-known for doing tracks like “No Woman No Cry” of the Natty Dread album and many, many more- covered “One Love”. Of course, songs like, or rather, Bob Marley anthems such as “Could You Be Loved”, “Get Up, Stand Up”, or “Redemption Song” were not missed out on in the concert. But the band also positively surprised us with own songs by Chet Samuel, the latest singer of “The Original Wailers”, and amongst the two or three self-penned songs, the band showcased one of the very first songs that the Puerto Rican singer composed himself.
After their brilliant performance, inews24.co.uk talked to the band whose members are the American Al Anderson (guitar), the Puerto Rican Chet Samuel (voice), Mexican Omar López (bass) and Jamaican Dyrol D Randall (drums) and Noel Aiken (keyboard), from Montego Bay and Port Antonio, respectively. Watch the video below to see “The Original Wailers” explanation of “One Love” and other cuts from the interview.
Article & Interview: Ilona Kepic
