The Resident’s PAULO SILVESTRE was among the thousands who converged on Sagres for the Super Bock Surf Fest earlier this month. It was a tale of seawater showers, lack of toilets and loads of music.
THOUSANDS OF music fans descended on Tonel beach in Sagres for the Super Bock Surf Fest on August 15 and 16.
Located in the car park, the main stage for performances was near the electronic tent for fans of the genre and for all those who wanted to continue partying throughout the night.
The beach was made available for the festival and its proximity to Sagres fort, where different winds and currents meet, meant that the water was very cold but this did nothing to stop festival-goers and surfers from enjoying it.
Less enjoyable were the hygiene conditions of the festival, where there were not enough toilets for the number of people that flocked to the event. Camping facilities were located on a nearby football pitch but were not shaded from the cruel August sun and there were no fresh water facilities, so showers involved having to dive into the sea!
Despite these conditions, the festival was a great success. On the first evening, Cascais-based band Quaiss Kitir took to the stage. All 10 members of the band, who play reggae music, had great energy and cooked up a storm in the eager but small audience. The singer, Duarte, did not lose heart and with the help of bass player David Pastel and Cesco on the guitar, they made the audience dance.
Next on stage was Jamaram, a German band with eight members, who played reggae with an abundance of energy. The Puerto Rican lead singer, Tom Lugo, performed the whole concert wearing a Portugal football top to the delight of the audience, who did not stop dancing.
Midnit, a hip-hop and reggae band from UK, were due to play next but they were forced to cancel at the last minute and were replaced by a band called Ce’cile.
Ce’cile is made up of two members from Jamaica, a DJ and Cecile on vocals. The music is a mix of reggae, hip-hop and sub-genre reggaeton. The DJ used samples of songs, some of which were very well-known, and mixed them in a very unique style. The audience appeared to love the rhythm and danced around wildly.
Dub Incorporation, with eight band members, was next on stage to play music, which they have called French reggae. With a larger audience, the atmosphere was electric with excitement and liveliness. At the end of their concert, the lead singer of Dub Incorporation asked Tom Lugo, vocalist of Jamaram to sing with him, much to the delight of the audience.
Minutes before the end of their concert, the electronic tent exploded with the sounds of DJ Mary B, a Portuguese female DJ who does a double act with DJ John Maria. The set was groovy and deep, which made it pleasant to hear and dance to.
To close the first day, Alpha Blondy devastated the audience with an excellent concert. Their entry on stage was eagerly anticipated by all. The group have been part of the festival circuit for many years and come from the Ivory Coast, in Africa.
At 2am, DJ John Maria began his performance in front of a sea of people in the electronic tent. Born in Faro, John Maria started his DJ career in London and has mastered a talent for mixing several music genres and styles together.
On the second and last day of the fest, more music madness continued and LF Cool was first on stage in the evening. With a total of six members, the band is based in Porto and their musical style is funk and soul. Like the first day of the festival, the precinct was almost completely empty at this time but as the night wore on, numbers increased.
An hour later, B!rd came on stage, playing a mix between punk reggae and ska. Incidentally, two of the five band members were also part of Quaiss Kitir, who opened the festival the previous day. B!rd had a really good stage presence and had the whole crowd dancing.
The next band was Mad Caddies from California, US, who played a blend of reggae, punk and indie. Despite cold winds, Chuck, the lead singer, had the audience dancing frantically without a care in the world. They were one of the best bands at the festival and their performance was very well received.
German band Culcha Candela went on stage at 11pm, playing a mixture of hip-hop reggae and Latin music. The six singers and one DJ had the crowd going and dancing around, and was another favourite at the festival.
One of most eagerly anticipated bands was Capleton from Jamaica. Lead singer Clifton Bailey came on stage with a very colourful red, golden and silver-plated dress and two ladies accompanied him on vocals throughout the concert. It was undoubtedly one of the best concerts on the second night and the crowd were thrilled by the performance.
Gentleman and the Far East Band entered on stage and shone with contagious reggae music beats and brought the Super Bock Surf Fest to an end in great style. With a packed audience, the band played their best songs and the most popular one entitled Superior sent the crowd into a frenzy. It was the most energetic moment of the night, with the public dancing and singing along with the chorus at the top of their lungs. Gentleman and the Far East Band was without question the best performance of the festival.
In the electronic tent, DJ Mary B began her set at midnight and was followed once again by DJ John Maria. The crowd was full of energy after a great concert by Gentleman and the Far East Band they wanted to continue the party, drinking, listening to great music, setting their spirits free and dancing all night long.
Super Bock Surf Fest was an incredibly diverse and animated festival this year, and those who went cannot wait for what is in store for them next year.
