Raggamuffin, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

After a particularly devastating series of deluges up north, it’s particularly heartening to welcome some rays of sunshine illuminating proceedings at this reggae / R&B fest, now in its fourth year. And unlike more Bacchanalian, hedonistic dance fests, this more socially conscious, family-friendly event is a welcome reprieve from the usual mayhem.

Continuing the dynastic reggae legacy of his legendary father, Bob Marley, Ky-Mani Marley bounds onto the stage amongst electric guitar musings, declaring, “Australia! It’s a revolution!” Alarmingly, his band suddenly erupts into an onslaught of metallic guitars, startling the rather chilled-out crowd from their peaceful reverie. With a symphonic mastery, the group launches into a menacing version of ‘Armed And Dangerous,’ as punters attempt to dance in awkward movements. He then launches into the familiar bass-lines of ‘Redemption Song’ eliciting raucous screams from the crowd, as solitary guitar refrains ring through the stadium. Continuing the Bob Marley tribute, the reggae pioneer’s old band The Original Wailers take to the stage, amidst a cacophony of symphonic soundscapes. After the blissful reggae grooves and sweeping organs of ‘Stir It Up’ there is an ingenious altering of the seminal anthem, ‘Buffalo Soldier,’ to suit the local audience, with the line, “Travelling to Australia, Buffalo soldier, fighting all their anger, fighting for survival,” eliciting cheers from the appreciative crowd.

Reggae-pop star Maxi Priest appears, amidst ebullient syncopated rhythms, as he delivers his inimitable wailing vocals. The band deliver rousing trumpets and drum rolls, culminating in a crescendo of climactic keyboards, before introducing the familiar refrains of his hit cover of Cat Steven’s ‘Wild World,’ which has the crowd singing along. Over tinkling piano, he delivers impassioned vocals on ‘I Believe In Love,’ before introducing his son, “all the way from London, Martin Priest”. Dutifully, his son almost steals the limelight, impressively singing over stunning dub rhythms like a seasoned veteran. Dressed in a waistcoat, bearing the Jamaican flag colours of green, black and red, reflecting a spectrum displayed ubiquitously during the day, Maxi also sports exceptionally long and pendulous dreadlocks. Dedicating the heartfelt, piano-driven ballad, ‘Say A Prayer For The World’ to the flood victims of Queensland, he then leaves the stage, announcing, “We’ve run out of time. We love you all, peace, we’re out of here.”

However, soon after, the legendary Jimmy Cliff takes the stage, instantly commanding punters to “get out” of their seats, to which they dutifully oblige. As bursts of trumpets ring out, he launches into the track, ‘Special.’ Decked out in a red jacket with a Jamaican flag waistcoat, he dances in spectacular backward steps, twirling and spinning around, with his arms outstretched in elaborate gestures. Certainly, his moves have the crowd enraptured, as they roar for more. After a soulful rendition of ‘Many Rivers To Cross’ and the jubilant ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want,’ Jimmy leads the crowd in chants of “We don’t want another Vietnam in Afghanistan!”on ‘Save Our Planet Earth,’ refreshingly bringing protest-style reggae back into vogue. The bongo drums come out for a soulful rendition of ‘I Can See Clearly Now,’ complete with a gospel-style choir. Then, a stirring rendition of ‘By The Rivers Of Babylon, creates an intimate, camp-fire-like sing-song atmosphere; a rather incredible feat in such a massive venue.

Explosive drum rolls, snippets of TV announcements mentioning Mary J. Blige, and rising synths herald the arrival of the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul herself. Mary finally appears, amidst cheers, as the band instantly launches into the throbbing bass-lines of ‘Real Love.’ Appearing exceptionally regal in leopard-print stretch pants and a leather jacket, Mary is soon joined by a pair of male dancers, who proceed to launch into a jaunty old-school choreographed dance. After imploring fans to “pull out” their mobile phones, she declares, “We are all one tonight, baby,” before the lilting refrains of the U2 collaboration, ‘One,’ emanates from the speakers, as the punters sing along, amongst a sea of illuminated phones. With her gospel-tinged vocals, she leaves punters gasping, as she falls to her knees while singing, “Then you make me crawl.” Absolutely phenomenal. Then, it’s time for the exuberant beats of ‘Dance For Me,’ finishing with explosive drum rolls, eliciting an ecstatic roar from the crowd. After several cheers of “Mary, Mary!” she returns to the stage, as she declares, “Calm down, Melbourne! Alright! Thank you so much…I can’t be without you, baby!” before launching into an inspired version of ‘Be Without You,’ which leaves punters quite literally breathless. Certainly, Mary proves she is a consummate performer, delivering dramatic, heart-wrenching vocals with unbridled passion. Indeed, it is a fitting end to a festival dedicated to stories of struggle, pain, heartbreak and triumph through the genres of R&B and reggae. And it would seem no-one does ‘heartbreak R&B’ like Mary J Blige.