'Scratch' Perry heads to Vermont Reggae Festival

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

As one of the 13 original colonies that formed the United States, Vermont figured strongly in the fight for American independence from Britain. The state's passion for Jamaican music may not be as documented, but reggae has had a presence there since the early 1970s.

That bond will be renewed from August 13-15 with the new-look Vermont Reggae Festival, to be held in the rural town of Johnson.

The show returns after a 10-year break with the legendary artiste/producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry as headliner.

"It's a great thing to have him (Perry) on the show, the people in Vermont love his music," said Jose Hammond, CEO of Native Roots Enterprises, promoters of the festival.

Though dancehall will be represented by the Massive B sound system (with selector/producers Bobby Konders and Jabba), most of the acts on the Vermont Reggae Festival are journeyman performers.

They include singer/producer Colin 'Iley Dread' Levy, singer Jah Cutter, and homegrown bands Pulse Prophets and Conscious Roots. Canada-based Cutter performed on the inaugural Vermont Roots Reggae Festival in 1986.

Back then, it was a free event known as the Vermont Roots Reggae Festival held in Burlington, the state capital.

Despite several venue changes, the Vermont Reggae Festival drew big audiences during the 1980s and '90s. Hammond, a Colombian, reckons that at its peak the show packed in as many as 35,000 patrons.

Hammond told The Sunday Gleaner that the venue in Johnson has an audience capacity of 5,000 who will be paying this time around. He expects enthusiastic response from fans, many of whom have not seen a reggae festival in 10 years.

"The most important thing is it will build confidence that we are trying to revive reggae in Vermont," Hammond said.

There has always been a vibrant reggae scene in the New England region. In Massachusetts, the college cities of Boston and Cambridge have produced several reggae and punk/ska bands, most notably the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

Like Massachusetts, neighbour states Rhode Island and Vermont's reggae base is built around clubs and college campuses.

Hammond says many clubs cater to live reggae, while Jamaican music gets generous airplay on WRUV, the University of Vermont's radio station.

In the early years, Hammond says the Vermont Roots Reggae Festival faced opposition from locals who complained that their property was damaged by patrons.

In June, promoters met authorities and concerned residents in Johnson to assure them there would be rigid crowd control.