Sumfest to bring new experiences
Published:Thursday | July 22, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Garfene Grandison, Gleaner Writer
At this year's staging of Reggae Sumfest, in addition to enjoying the artistes onstage, fans of the genre will also be able to rub shoulders with some of dancehall's legends in a special Guinness lounge.
There will be the usual dancehall night, yes, but there will also be dancehall acts on other nights, as well as the added bonus of a celebration of some of dancehall's legends.
In a correspondence to The Gleaner, Gary Dixon, Guinness brand manager, said, "Our booth will have as its theme, 'Celebrating Legends of Dancehall'. The music is on a journey that has come from far, and we have seen tremendous changes. Some of the celebrated icons have been there, pioneer sound systems like Stone Love, producers like King Jammys, artistes like Shabba Ranks, back in the day, U-Roy, all of those people who have been pioneering the great genre of dancehall, so we feel it right to celebrate that."
Dancehall's progress
According to Dixon, the presence of Queen Ifrica, Gyptian and Beenie Man on the international nights, shows the progress dancehall has made. That progress, he said, was something Red Stripe, distributors of Guinness, wanted to be a part of.
Patrons will be hosted inside a booth to be set up during Sumfest, and will be able to take pictures with some legends of the dancehall. They will also be able to have chats with them about their journey to greatness, while being served by attractive hostesses.
The consumer experience will begin as patrons walk through the 'Best of Sumfest Moments' corridor, where life-size replicas of local and international artistes who have left an indelible mark on the Sumfest stage will be placed.
At the Red Stripe booth, Hardrock Café meets Red Stripe and Reggae Sumfest.
Memorabilia
Musical instruments and memorabilia of superstars will dress the double-decked booth.
The booth will also come ready with a DJ to keep the vibes going during band changes. Plasma televisions will be situated all over the booth to ensure that patrons are granted optimum visibility.
To engage consumers in the wider venue during band changes, Red Stripe will carry a mini concert from the Red Stripe booth entitled 'Red Stripe Mini Escape thru Music Concerts'. Here a mini stage will be erected which will have Red Stripe's endorsed DJs playing, along with performances by specially invited artistes.
These artistes will inspire positive music and messages about putting Jamaica first.
Guinness draught will also be on the menu of delights for patrons. This, Dixon disclosed, would soon be, officially, launched on the market.