This July over 10,000 people celebrated the 13th Rototom Sunsplash Festival in Italy. The biggest reggae festival in Europe and the longest running music event in Italy, Rototom Sunsplash, as its name suggests, only ends when the sun splashes out from the sea, giving rise to a brand new day’.

Surrounded by mountains, the 62 acre site in the Natural Park of Rivellino, in the Northeast of Italy, becomes a tented village and a small, unique world for ten days. People from countries all over Europe, including Germany, Croatia and Slovenia, pitch their spot and wake up each morning with the heat of the sun and the sound of music coming from every stage. The bands perform between 6pm and 2am daily, but around the site there are lots of different activities to fill the festival goers spare time. There is a market with over 100 multi-ethnic stalls, where you can even have your hair expertly plaited into dreadlocks, and 35 different food outlets to suit all tastes.

During the daylight hours, non-musical programmes are offered to the festival’s population’. For example, a tent called Living Energy was the perfect place to relax. In the evening people could take part in natural therapy sessions, including sacred-skull, meditation and breathing techniques. There were African, Jamaican and Brazilian dance workshops as well as Didjeridoo or Djamb drum courses. There was even a football tournament to provide participants with the vibes and flavour of the Word Cup.

Each year the Festival is given a theme. After Peace in 2004 and Mother Nature in 2005, this year was entitled Respect Human Rights. In the main tent, every afternoon, notable international persoalities and festival goers discussed ideas about Respect and what it means. Cindy Sheehan, the American Peace Mother, told the story of her battle against Bush’s recent war campaign and Father Renato Kizito Sesana, a 61 year old Colombian missionary, spoke about the controversial peace solution for the Sudan.
The festival’s purpose is not only to play international reggae music but a place to discuss and search for a world, full of peace and respect.

Contact: Associazione Culturale Rototom,
Via Ruatte 8, Zoppola, PN 333080, Italy
Tel: +39 0434 977314
Website: www.rototomsunsplash.com

Photo © Luca Sgamellotti
www.rototomsunsplash.com