Skatalites And Ska Cubano Bring Big Smiles To ‘Smiley’

Saturday’s reggae feast in Pattaya is voted a massive success ; The end of the year traditionally comes with festive events and lots of festivals and last Saturday was no exception with Pattaya’s Baan Amphur beach playing host to authentic ska at the Smiley Festival, one of the best outdoor music events held so far this year.

That was largely due to the line up. Unlike most so-called ska and reggae music festivals that disappoint with jazz or even pop and bore the audience to death by bringing in the same acts over and over again, Smiley Fest stayed true to its concept and brought only real ska, reggae and rock steady acts to perform.

The headliners included must-see international talents such as the sensational Ska Cubano from the UK, legendary group the Skatalites from Jamaica, ska and rock steady veteran Little Roy, and aspiring newcomers Prince Fatty and Babyhead from England, along with aspiring bands from Thailand and Korea. The price to see and listen to all these great performers? Just Bt800.

The festival set-up was convenient, functional and very organised. There was plenty of space in front of the stage to do the crazy ska dance and more space on the beach to sit down and enjoy the show. Tables and chairs were spread over the remainder of the festival site for those who wanted to grab a bite and rest their ears and weary legs for a while. Each zone was nearly divided and no matter where you were in the festival, you could always hear and see what was happening on stage thanks to the massive screens installed all over the area. There were more than enough toilet cubicles not too far from the venue and they were surprisingly clean. Food and drinks were reasonably priced and were available all night.

The only problem, like at many other big festivals, was garbage. Folks were either too drunk or lazy to dump it in the bins so many punters were forced to dodge large piles of cans scattered about the dancing area.

The audience was a nice mix of Thais and foreigners. International acts attracted the foreign crowd, while the Thais were there to catch yet another gig by Thailand’s homegrown ska outfit T-Bone. Somehow, during the night, the fest suddenly evolved into a big music class. For many Thais, the fest added a greater dimension to the approach to ska music, allowing us to catch “post grad” artists like the Skatalites and Ska Cubano after too many years of listening to “high school” acts. Old school ska, roots, dub and ska with Cuban traits were unanimously appreciated that night, thanks to the energetic and soulful performances of the international talent.

And more than a few young people went home understanding at last that ska has its origins in Jamaica, and not Africa.

with thanks to : NATION