Jah Tung ADD

Reggae Jam 2025 - Festival Report

08/01/2025 by Gardy Stein

Touchdown in Bersenbrück! For the 31^st edition of Germany’s most favorite reggae festival (according to the annual Riddim Mag poll), red-gold-green enthusiasts from all over the country have flocked to the little rural town where a weekend of musical magic awaits us. As every year, the Reggae Jam Crew has put considerable effort into the preparation of this event, from the booking of exciting artists and the organization of volunteers, traders, sanitary facilities, security, food stalls and stages to setting up the physical structures, decorations and all. Of course, Team Reggaeville is on the ground to provide you with visual and textual impressions of some of the niceness ahead, so make sure you stay tuned!

WATCH THE LIVE STREAM HERE: DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3

THURSDAY - JULY 31, 2025
„It‘s so nice to see you all again!” The voice of Bernd Lagemann, better known as Sheriff, booms from the speakers when Sheriff’s Soundpatrol take over at 10:30pm from Sunblast Movement and Sun Fire Sound, who opened the Dancehall stage tonight. Now called Sound Wonderland, it is one of this year’s remarkable novelties, a big tented area pitched directly at the banks of the Hase river that runs through the city. It has thus taken the place of the Riverside Disko, which moved further down to the spot where the Sandwich Maker used to provide food and drink, side stage and, most importantly, meeting point (this is the first year where his friendly truck is not here, and it does feel a bit strange, tbh). The only downer of this new set-up is that the booming sound of the Dancehall is ricocheting off the wooden boat house and into the Roots Camp, but once they turn up their speakers and you stand inside the circle of soundsystems, all you hear is bass. 

The place where the Dancehall tent used to be is now an extension of the Kids’ Space, where the smallest visitors can skate, play ball or paint with chalk. The soundboys and-gals even constructed a “Mini Rootscamp” there, complete with mini sound system and tent – sweetness! Speaking of: the Roots Camp is definitely one of the atmospheric highlights of this festival, and entering their area puts an instant smile on everybody’s faces. Fairy lights in the trees, a bonfire crackling away merrily, solid wooden structures that house bars and merch and chill spots as well as seven (!) soundsystem stacks arranged in a semicircle around the central engineering unit make the space an instant favorite. “Heartical vibes and uplifting music” indeed, powered by Rise Up, Kunterbunt, Rootsplague, Zion Garden and Simple Skank, as the printed Reggae Jam Festival Guide informs us. Their line-up includes gems, too, and right now we hear two powerful female voices, Black Omolo and Sistah Jahia, performing a Ganja-themed freestyle to bass-heavy instrumentals provided by the Kunterbunt Soundsystem. Boom!

The holy herb is the subject over at the Sound Wonderland Dancehall, too, where Sheriff’s Soundpatrol are in full swing, playing Afroman’s Because I Got High, Jr. Gong’s Medication and Collie Buddz’ Love & Reggae. “If you look forward to artists like Ky-Mani Marley and Luciano, let me see your hands!” says MC Tommy, and Selecta Trixa plays Give Praise and, a shoutout to the Hase, Morgan Heritage’s Down By The River. Vibes are high!

When Warrior Sound Intl. takes over at 0:30am, the place is full and everyone sings along to Buju’s Our Father In Zion and Hills And Valleys with which he starts his set. “It’s been ten years since I last came here!” Mattia says, taking us on a wild ride through 30 years of reggae, dancehall and dubplates during the next 2 plus hours, and all we see in the crowd are happy faces, dancing people and – torches! A great first night, and, trust me, we are in for so much more!

FRIDAY – AUGUST 1, 2025
The first full festival day sees more visitors arrive. Although the weather is not perfect (the sky is grey, there are occasional rain showers and temperatures are more spring than summer, maxing at 20°), we are spared the muddy drama unfolding at Wacken, a heavy metal festival taking place on this same weekend a bit further north. Around noon, a few rays of sun break through the clouds, and while the Roots Camp is already welcoming people for a session of Meditation with Nadja and One Love Yoga with Lena & Ina, the two Reggae Jam main stages are busy with the last preparations before the concerts proper start: setting up the artist backstages, checking the sound and rain proofing all areas on and off stage. Let the games start!

2:33pm, ART EXHIBITION @ MUSEUM IM KLOSTER
Now is a good time to visit the special exhibition about Jamaican Art in the local museum. Entry is free for all festival visitors, and y’all should really take the chance to see some of the visual creativity issuing from the little island in the Caribbean, next to all the musical one we so well know! Curator Karl-Olaf Kaiser receives us and offers a little tour, and of course we are happy to let him lead us through the collection. He recounts the development from the first idea to the present realization, made possible by the involvement of museum director Katharina Pfaff and many private collectors who allowed their art pieces to be displayed here. The result of their efforts is an impressive trip through a century of Jamaican visual art, starting with a piece by Edna Manley (the lady responsible for the establishment of a serious art scene on the island, commemorated in Kingston’s renowned College for Visual and Performing Arts) right up to modern artists like Taj Francis, Richard Nattoo, Michael “Freestyle” Thompson or Richard Gayle, who provided the piece Young Legend depicting Original Koffee that was chosen as cover art for the whole exhibition. I am specially impressed by a triptych by Gavin Jordan, who created the piece Coronation Street by painting screws, giving the piece a three-dimensional look. Big up to everyone involved in this project!

4:47pm, JAM SESSION @ ROOTS CAMP
Continuing the tradition of an Open Jam Session on their system, the Roots Camp has drawn a small crowd already since morning, when Rise Up Hi-Fi and Zion Garden filled the riverside with deep bass. Right now, we see six or seven musicians in full swing (drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, percussion, saxophone and harmonica), playing a nice offbeat to which several vocalists improvise something. There is an elder rasta in yellow shirt and turban, singing about the need to unite and stand up against injustice, a punk rocker in iron-studded jeans who delivers a powerful German freestyle, an African bredrin called Cobby Anoyntin who is spitting a few bars and also rocks the bass, and two youngsters called Joe aka Knilch Sibbles (Salvation Melody) and MC Tubby. Most impressive, however, is a young female singer who, with beautiful voice and flow, sings about the "iron me", about the inner strength you have to discover and rely on. Her name is Lara Mbaye, as I find out after she finishes, and yes, you should check her out! Another rain shower brings people closer together under the tent, and after it eases off, it’s time to return to the main stages.

6:00pm, GANJAMAN & DJ JABBAR @ RED STAGE
“Are you ready for three days of peace and unity?” are the opening words of moderators Ganjaman and DJ Jabbar, who will lead through the program today. They welcome the few visitors who are already there, and announce the opening act Tribal M, “playing the 80s reggae style since 25 years”, as they inform us. I’ve never seen nor heard them before, so their punk-rock infused offbeat is a nice start into the concert evening.

7:21pm, VIDO JELASHE @ GREEN STAGE
What a voice! The South African artist Vido Jelashe puts his all in this show, accompanied by the House Of Riddim band, spreading good vibes and consciousness. He talks about the need to stop all wars and especially the genocide happening in Gaza right now, telling us to not stay silent on the matter. Word! He then sings a cover version of Gentleman’s Superior, and the lyrics hit home: “Why dem drop the bombs ina Arabia? Why the children bawl and suffer ina Africa? Leaders of the world just fighting for superpower…”  The rain stopped by now, the sun even came out for a bit, and the only thing taking away from Vido’s fine performance is the guest appearance of a blonde “singer” who doesn’t deserve the name (some people need to spend some more hours in rehearsal before touching a big stage).

8:05pm, MARCUS GAD & TRIBE @ RED STAGE
First highlight! Oh have I been looking forward to this and, according to moderator Ganjaman, I'm not the only one. “This artist moved me to tears when he first performed here in 2017!” he says, announcing Marcus Gad and his band Tribe. After a little delay due to some technical difficulties, they spread their magic into the evening sky, playing songs like Ready For Battle, Rebel Form Of Soul or the wonderful Soul Plan, a collaboration with the late Naâman to which the singer sends a rest-in-peace-blessing. The band (Raphaël Baldy and Matthieu on guitars, Garcia on bass, Francky on keys and Tamal on the sound mix) play divinely, with a special shout-out going to drummer Jean, who is a master of his craft. Kanake, their final song, marks this set’s climax, with Marcus explaining the indigenous origin of the term and the need to reinstate its former positive meaning. “Thank you for having us, Reggae Jam, take care of yourselves, take care of the land!” are his farewell words, and then their concert is sadly over. Thanks for the teachings!

10:41pm, IOTOSH @ RED STAGE
After a nice performance by Inoah, an artist who rocked the stage during the Reggae Jam Awakening held for the first time earlier this year, there is an half hour break due to a complete line check (the technical difficulties from before seem to have aggravated). When the stage is up and running again, it’s time for another newcomer: Iotosh! He is better known as producer than as singer, working with the likes of Protoje and Jesse Royal and receiving a Grammy-nomination thrice, so stirring the crowd, who don’t know his catalogue well, is a challenge. It’s only during the final Fill My Cup that the movement is on, and with the words “We deya same way, don’t it? I man representing for Kingston, Jamaica!” , this promising artist leaves the stage.

11:08pm, JAHTUNG @ GREEN STAGE   
He made it! Having witnessed his movements from day one of his European ventures, it’s a good thing to see this young man on stage: Jah Tung from Australia has worked hard to be where he’s at now, overcoming obstacles and devoting everything to steady growth and exposure. While he was on that same stage last year as “filler” act for someone who couldn’t make it, he made such a good impression that he’s officially booked this time around, and, bwoy, does he deliver! In smooth communication with the House Of Riddim band, he gives the crowd a taste of his artistry, presenting some of his works including My Innocence, Rise & Shine or Digital Degeneration and freestyling on the Jamrock riddim. Niceness!

11:46pm, EESAH @ RED STAGE
Rising artist Eesah outta Jamaica is performing with the Jahvolution band here, and his set is much better than the one we saw at Summerjam a few weeks back. This youth can sing! His fans had the chance to catch a hug and a photo earlier at the Riddim Meet & Greet, where Iotosh and Jesse Royal were also present. The latter now gets ready for his show, while over at the green stage Teacha Dee took over the slot of Sophia Brown, who couldn’t make it, unfortunately. Given the few women on the lineup in total (only four female acts against a total of 34 male acts!), this is bitter, but show must go on, as they say.

00:23am, JESSE ROYAL @ RED STAGE
“This is the generation of change, the generation who put people over money!” Jesse Royal tells us, and oh that’s a nice vision to share. He started his set with Rivers of Babylon, a song you can’t help but sing along to, and now jumps into sweet deliveries of Roots & Culture and Rock It Tonight. In between his songs (and before there was an issue with his mic), he talks to the crowd, creating a wonderful atmosphere of inclusion and communion. “Reggae is the only genre livicated to love, peace and unity. If you love Reggae, make some noise!” Lighters and mobile torches are up when he sends a blessing to those who have left us, and I have to quote him once more on these wise words: “The past is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and the present is a gift!”

01:33am, LITTLE KIRK @ GREEN STAGE
One thing the Reggae Jam is known and loved for is the respect given to foundation artists – big up for this, Sheriff! Right now, it is Kirk Davis aka Little Kirk who released a lot in the ‘90s, but never had that one big breakthrough. Best known from his current set seems to be God A Di Man on the Lalabella riddim, and when he comes with Tony Rebel’s version If Jah Is Standing By My Side, the crowd sings along to it, loud and clear. Chuuune!

02:11am, MYSTIC REVEALERS @ RED STAGE
With considerable delay, the final act of the night is announced by the New York DJ Splackavelli: the Mystic Revealers! The name will ring a bell only if you’ve been into reggae for at least three decades, for they formed in the late ‘70s and had a first big hit with Mash Down Apartheid in 1985 (produced by Jimmy Cliff). While the band composition has changed a bit, their conscious message has stayed the same, and they bring this first night to a worthy close.

For those who wish to continue the party, the Sound Wonderland is blasting away all night with DJ Densen and Silly Walks, while the Roots Camp houses an amazing Soundsystem Conference involving all of the seven stacks in operation. Bassy dreams, everyone!

SATURDAY – AUGUST 2, 2025
Hopes of a day without rain are scattered when waking up to another heavy rain shower. A big shout-out to all the visitors who are holding out on the camping grounds, not letting the weather deter them from bringing their good vibes to the Reggae Jam 2025! And vibes they bring indeed. It is a joy watching the diversity of people coming together for this festival, young and old, local and foreign, dressed in colorful hippiesque outfits or wearing a swag black and white adidas tracksuit… one of my favorite moments is when crews of friends meet, shouting their welcome from afar, falling into each other's arms, laughing and hugging and taking a group selfie. This is the unity we need! To say it in the words of the great Bob Marley: "We Jah people can make it work! Come together and make it work!" Heed these words, as Day 2 confronts us with some unforeseen events – read on to find out.  

2:45pm, ROOTS CAMP & KIDS CORNER
Arriving at the Roots Camp early to witness another fine Jam Session, I am greeted with teeming activity. Earlier this morning, the big hangar tent that covers the central engineering and performing unit collapsed! Luckily no one got hurt, and now the different sound crews have rolled up their sleeves to construct a new roofing, a feat they manage during the next few hours.

While they’re at it, I check out the Kids’ Corner, a big area including a playground, a tent where children can paint, play or do handicrafts and the open space mentioned in yesterday’s report. Approaching one of the families around, I ask Lioba (6 years old) what her favorite spot is on the festival, and she says: “It’s nice everywhere, but crafting stuff in the tent here is what I like most!” Her mother adds that she is really grateful to have this spot for the children, so a big THANK YOU to all who made this possible!

On the way back to the main stage I pass the Sound Wonderland, where DJ Dan Vido is just taking over from DJ Rockiy, playing Marley’s Roots Rock Reggae. Early Saturday niceness! As if on clue, the sun comes out, illuminating a peaceful scene at the river bank: a few people dancing, children chasing soap bubbles, a boat gliding by and a few brave ones dipping their bare legs in the water.

3:24pm, GANJAMAN & FRIENDS @ GREEN STAGE
Same procedure as every year, Steve! Ganjaman’s breakfast show has grown to be a cherished tradition, which is why the festival grounds are full already and those closest to the stage get a few snacks prepared by diligent helpers. Right now, he sings the song Alphabet which includes the spelling of the word reggae, but the singer interrupts himself, points to a wooden statue next to him (a vertical column saying "ReggeaJam") and says: "I have to explain this to you – it’s a funny story. Five people were involved in crafting this thing: one wrote the word, one turned it into a graphic, two people started carving it and one filmed the process. It was only after it was done that we realized something is off. Since then we founded the Club of the Anonymous Dislectics!"

Continuing the musical vibe, the band (Marco Baresi on drums, Flo on bass, Simon on guitar and Felix on keys) now plays a tune for guest artist Toké, who expresses his appreciation for Ganjaman by saying that "he’s one of those people that inspire positive change!". After him, percussionist Jon Moon also performs a song and shares that "without this man, I wouldn’t be here today!" So much love!

5:15pm, LUISA LAAKMANN @ GREEN STAGE
After the German band Treasure B has opened the red stage, it is now time for Luisa Laakmann’s show. Her Bubbling Band increases the female quota on the line-up a bit, sporting three male and three female musicians, and the Latin-flavored vibe they share is pure joy. “Everything in life is a riddim,” Luisa says, “and my last song is called I Need Your Riddim For My Flow”

5:47pm, RIK JAM & DALWAYNE @ RED STAGE
Due to some changes in the line-up, the act that I so badly wanted to see last year (and who couldn’t make it) has now finally arrived: Rik Jam & Dalwayne! Straight outta JA, the young talents were discovered and honed by keyboarder and producer Phillip McFarlane and have started to conquer stages, hearts and ears around the world. Rik is up first, introducing himself to the crowd and then sharing some songs of his debut album Genesis that just came out. He then hands over the mic to Dalwayne, and together with the band of four they sweeten up the afternoon, The band consists of Phillip on keys, Joel Graham on drums, Tyrest on guitar and Junior Burke on bass, with engineer Omar trying to provide a balanced mix - unfortunately, the technical difficulties from yesterday (remember?) have not been rectified completely, so the sound is not perfect, but the vibe definitely came across.  

Next to me, a puppeteer puts a smile on many visitors’ faces by having @the_lucky_mushroom dance along to the music, waving his tiny hands to the beat. Such a nice thing to see people getting creative, and for a good cause at that!

6:58pm, UNSTOPPABLE FYAH & AKEEM GARRISON @ GREEN STAGE
Speaking of good causes: on my way to the green stage, I pass the Riddim Meet & Greet where Rik Jam & Dalwayne are currently expected, and decide to buy two tickets at the lottery still going on at the HELP Jamaica stand. It’s a CD and a poster for me, but the family who comes next are luckier, as their daughter, Henriette, wins one of the few shirts. Congrats!

On the Green Stage, Jamaica’s Unstoppable Fyah is firing away, harvesting a loud round of applause when he finishes his set. Moderator D-Flame is just about to announce the next act when Ganjaman hurries to his side, a baby girl of maybe 18 months on his arm. He says that anybody who knows her parents should urgently come to pick her up, but the little one doesn’t seem to mind: she even claps along with the crowd when they cheer Akeem Garrisson, who is performing next.

“We just need to come together as a people and be as one!” he says before presenting some of his tracks, and he really is a vocalist to be on the lookout for. The vibes he so carefully builds are suddenly interrupted when Rasta David aka Father Cat, an elder backing singer that was just about to present a song solo, collapses on stage. The music stops, people are holding their breaths, and everyone on stage hurries over to help. In a matter of seconds, two paramedics are in place, stabilizing the man and rushing him off (we later learn that it was an issue with his hip and he is in hospital now, doing okay; the little girl has also been picked up within minutes, btw). The emergency protocols are working out just fine! Thus relieved, Akeem continues his set to an energized crowd, sending out a shoutout to Sheriff to thank him for the invitation and to the staff behind the scenes.

20:05pm, THE RISING SUNS @ RED STAGE
Having started their set with the Bob-Marley-classic Stir It Up, the Red Stage sees the introduction of a novelty: meet the Rising Suns! Founded by Irie Souljah, Matthew Malcolm and Quan Dajai, the three young singers joined forces to bring the glory of vocal trios back to life, and yes, they have all it takes to do just that. From their own gripping version of The Wailing Souls’ Jah Jah Give Us Life To Live to a Max-Romeo-tribute spanning Chase The Devil, War Ina Babylon and Wet Dream, they demonstrate convincingly how well their voices harmonize together. They also present some original compositions including an unreleased Silly Walks production and two tracks from Irie Souljah’s album World Citizen, released just yesterday. Before saying goodbye to the audience, they ask for “a moment of silence for Emancipation Day!” This is a holiday in Jamaica commemorating August 1^st 1838, when the abolition of slavery was announced throughout the Caribbean. Freedom!

9:16pm, CHUCK FENDA @ GREEN STAGE
“This guy is torching the stage!” somebody comments the beginning of the next act on the green stage, and although he means the drummer, the same thing can be said of the singer as well. Chuck Fenda, a surprise addition to the lineup because Jah Bouks couldn’t make it, is in full effect, singing his take on the Truth & Rights riddim called All About Da Weed before covering the better known Youths Dem Cold to loud cheers from the crowd. The band then starts Police & Helicopter, and the artist climbs the stage scaffolding to sing the song from there. He even invites us into his live stream on IG to show Jamaica that “Reggae is not dead in Germany!”, firing off his anthem Warning, to which hands are up and flags are waving and the crowd sings along. “I’m ready to go to Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, I’m ready to tour Europe, so where are the booking agents?” he announces, making sure people get his name’s spelling right so they can look him up on social media. His set comes to a close with the meditative Oh My Lord, which the band plays in Nyabinghi style.

10:07pm, MORTIMER @ RED STAGE
One of my personal highlights today, Mortimer was announced but didn’t start yet, cause some things still need fixing. When he does come on, he sings Not A Day Goes By and Changes, taking the latter as an occasion to address the reason for his delay. “Let me be frank with you, people. The whole evening didn’t go as planned, things turned out differently and ruined my vibe. It wasn’t supposed to sound like that, so it won’t be perfect and I’m still pissed af, but I see so many people who took their time to come here, paid their money to be here, prepared themselves, so I knew I have to pull it through. Thank you for bearing with us, we are trying to get it together! And even though I’m upset, special thanks to the team and big respect for putting this festival together!” What a grown-up way to handle this situation, with honesty and understanding! Let’s all take a page from his book.

10:53pm, NATTY KING @ GREEN STAGE
With an apology for the delay and short-term lineup changes, but most pronounced with a heartfelt "Thank you" addressed to the mayor of Bersenbrück and its citizens, Ganjaman now announces the act who will perform in I-Wayne’s stead: Natty King! He is no stranger to this stage (he was booked on the regular lineup last year) and seems intent on making the best of his time here with a fine riddim medley and songs like Too Humble or Rebellution and, of course, a Ganja tune. He also invites some artist friends to the mic, Singing Gold and Inoah, before waving the crowd goodbye.

00:11am, I-FIRE @ RED STAGE
With almost an hour delay, the Hamburg-based band I-Fire conquer the “cursed” Red Stage. They deliver a good show, but some of their powerful sound (trombone and vocals, most of all) is lost to the enduring technical problems. Their fans celebrate them undeterred, though, singing and dancing along loudly to tunes like I-Fire, Rudeboykings or, their final one, Dabadubade. 

1:04am, MACKA B @ GREEN STAGE
Definitely a highlight of tonight is Christopher MacFarlane, better known as Macka B. This British artist has a way of bringing his message across with compassion and humor, addressing even tough topics such as the current geopolitical situation with his song Another Soldier. The “Medical Mondays” series that made him go viral a few years back also finds mention here, with the legendary Cucumba and Fast Food, for instance. “The healthiest fast food is veggies and fruit!” He also sings the song Bob that was the first I ever heard of him, and the following medley of a few Marley classics find easy resonance in the crowd. Before Macka B leaves us, he introduces his Roots Ragga Band, consisting of Matthew on keys, Giorgio on guitar, Paolo on bass, Jeff on drums and sound engineer Amboss Digital. Props to you, guys!

2:20am, KY-MANI MARLEY @ RED STAGE
More Marley awaits us with the final act, as Bob’s son Ky-Mani is here. He makes his fans happy by an early delivery of his hit New Heights, and then dives into a few Marley covers, of course. Even though it started raining again the crowd is still there, singing along to Rasta Love, a song that’s been around for 15(!) years, believe it or not. The technicians have obviously fixed some of the issues that soured most of the earlier performances, but perfection sounds different, both in terms of the overall sound mix and the singer’s vocals. Still, it is a mellow way to make this second festival day come to an end, and the audience applauds loudly before heading over to the Dancehall or wherever. Shout-out to the guy in the crowd who holds up a red-gold-green sign saying "One People – One World – One Love".

4:13am, SOUND SYSTEM CONFERENCE @ ROOTS CAMP
Lars Vegas, Sheriff’s Soundpatrol and Barney Millah have rocked the Sound Wonderland since midnight, and a short visit over there shows that vibes are up and people are having fun. My night, however, continues at the Roots Camp, where another Sound System Conference is in session with Roots Plague and Rise Up Hi-Fi taking turns playing bass-heavy tunes. The hangar has been fixed by a joint effort of this amazing crew, and under the new roof people gather to, simply, listen and dance to dub and steppas. Spiced up by some gifted instrumentalists, this gathering is indeed a late musical blessing: next to a melodica and two saxophone players, Ras Divarius is here again with his violin, adding sweet melodies, and a young man called Lance Hume plays the sitar, sending its spherical notes into the night sky. Thank you for this!   

SUNDAY – AUGUST 3, 2025
The last festival day (really, already?) starts with a service at the local St. Vincentius church. Locals and festival visitors come together, no matter their denomination and differences, in a prayer of peace – that’s the spirit our world needs! The donations collected today go straight to HELP Jamaica, btw, supporting educational projects in Kingston and beyond.

3:10pm, SOUND WONDERLAND
Many people have partied hard last night, so the place is still kinda empty. To the sound of an early vinyl set by Selecta Ahoi, people are posing for some nice crew photos in front of the Reggae Jam logo on the other side of the river, and the soap bubble guy is there again to send some of his fragile creations into the (momentarily) blue sky. Temptation is high to go over to the Roots Camp for another nice Jam Session, but I missed the performances of Herr Jan and Navigation System already and want to make sure to arrive in time for…

3:42pm, KAYLAN ARNOLD @ RED STAGE
… this young lady right here! One of the most exciting newcomers at present, she doesn’t limit herself to one genre but switches effortlessly between soul, reggae, hiphop and jazz – and damn, can she sing! Not only her voice leaves a lasting impression, but also her natural ease on stage. Dressed in a German football jersey, she talks to the audience ("When I say peace, you say love, peace –"), shares details about herself ("I’m a Sagittarius, so I’m a bit dramatic!") and introduces us to her songs (Joy, You and Smooth among them, plus some as yet unreleased stuff). At one point she even sends her band of four away and presents a few cover songs on guitar, Marley and Beres and Jr. Gong among them. Already my highlight of the day! Good thing the sound on this stage is much improved today – about time!

5:05pm, ZAMUNDA @ GREEN STAGE
“Could you imagine a life without music? It’s the only thing that can ease your mind, body and soul sometimes!” These wise words come from Zamunda, named after the fictional African country in Eddie Murphy’s movie. Born Christopher Gayle, this young man created some stir with his 2023 album Jah Love Surround Me, some tracks of which he brought to the show, and is now preparing the release of the follow-up called My Truth My Journey. He looks snazzy in his green suit and black nail polish, and delivers a solid show during which he also salutes the fallen soldiers: “A moment of silence, please! Let’s remember Mr. Peetah Morgan, Mr. Max Romeo, Cocoa Tea, Junior Byles…” Rest in peace!

5:47pm, FESTIVAL GROUNDS
The sweet voice of Treesha accompanies me on a little stroll along the different stalls, tents and booths that are part of every festival. It’s diner time, and a plate of Ackee & Saltfish at Ivan’s is a must, but there are many other culinary adventures to be had here. All of them raised their prices, as inflation made both ingredients and transport expensive, and somehow the traders have to make a living, too. I bump into some friends who have taken the chance to go for a swim (there’s a public pool right next to the entrance) and are now ready for the remaining program here. The Festival Guide reveals that I miss the set of Fraylo and Stella Brown over at the Roots Camp, as well as the Mini Disco at the Kids’ Corner (where actual kids play on the mini stacks!), but alas, you can’t be everywhere at once, and I certainly don’t want to miss the next artist.

6:10pm, NATURE ELLIS & G WHIZZ @ GREEN STAGE
Nature Ellis! This artist has been here before, in 2018, and left me in awe of his energetic stage presence. This time around, he confirms this impression by a sports program of sorts: juggling the mic, trying to skip rope with the backing vocalist’s microphone cable, push-ups on the monitor and an almost backflip – this man can move! Most memorable, however, is his voice. Warm and soft in one moment, he pitches it to powerful heights in the next. "We make revolution not with guns, but by educating the people!" And educating he does. With shout-outs to every woman during his song Karen, to Sheriff during a calm Nyabinghi piece and to Mattia from Warrior Sound who produced the track Conquer for him, he creates an atmosphere of gratitude and consciousness. During his subsequent Dem Gone, a dove comes flying onto the stage, sits on the scaffolding as if to listen for a moment and then takes off again. Divine blessings!

Ending his set with a tribute to Garnett Silk (Christ In His Kingly Character), he makes way for the next artist, G Whizz. He wears the red beret hat that has become a symbol of African defiance and resistance, from Uganda's Bobi Wine to Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré, but, imho, that’s the most remarkable thing about his performance. Respect is due to the backing band though: coming straight from the Netherlands, Prayanswer (drums), Robin (guitar), Winston (bass), Jemello and Dennos (keys) as well as Bapo (percussions) rule the green stage all day long, playing for 5 different artists. Big up to y’all!

7:37pm, DR. RING DING @ RED STAGE
For all those who have missed him yesterday, here he is: Dr. Ring Ding! Since Stylo G and Fantan Mojah couldn’t make it today (the former had visa problems, the latter got sick), this German artist brings his unique style to the stage, with his usual combination of good music and dark humor. His ska song The Rule he introduces thus: “The nice thing about being a musician is that we have the opportunity and the responsibility to bring people together, no matter where you are from, where you want to go or who you love. There are a few rules we live by, but actually there is only one very important one: Don’t be an asshole!” He even made this slogan wearable and throws some T-shirts into the crowd. For his final song, he invites Sista Gracy to the stage, who brings on the heat and gives us a taste of what a Yardie Crew performance at her annual bash sounds like.

8:51pm, TEEJAY @ GREEN STAGE
Party is on with this one! Teejay The Uptopboss has a lot of fans in the place, all of whom have moved to the front of the stage and cheer the singer, loudly. And they have every right to do so, cause this man knows what he’s doing! Lyrics, flow and vocals are on point, and he switches between his own songs and crowd-pleasing covers like Too Experienced. Inviting dancer Gabbidon (who created the Drift dance routine) on stage turns into a flashback to 2023 when Mr. Vegas climbed the “tree of life”, remember? So, the youth does his dance on stage one time, then asks the crowd to make way for him to dance with them (not before taking off his shoes, however, as “dem brand new, a Air Force, me cyan mash it up so fast!“). He dives into the crowd, then climbs the tree and dances on its branches. Madness!  

Teejay’s exit becomes memorable, too, as he is possibly the first artist to do this: while there is a break during which the band discusses which song to play next, he picks up on the Real Rock riddim that is played as soundcheck over at the red stage, freestyling on it and having the band join in.

9:32pm, MARLEY’S GHOST & DELLÉ @ RED STAGE
With 13 musicians, even this big stage looks crowded: Marley’s Ghost is a Bob Marley tribute show, featuring songs like War, Rastaman Vibration and Get Up Stand Up, sung by Dellé (known as one of the former three frontmen of German band Seeed) and Sebastian Sturm. While the latter is a joy to listen to, Dellé’s performance is disappointing, and during Buffalo Soldier he is completely off-key. I guess even professional singers have a bad voice day once in a while! The nicest thing about their set is the communication between the musicians – this is a true group project, not a band backing one or two singers!

11:20pm, LUCIANO @ GREEN STAGE
Sweep Over My Soul… With his voice of molten velvet, Luciano is the final act of the night, and he makes sure that everyone present catches the essence of why we’re here: sweet reggae music! Serve Jah, This One Is For The Leaders or It’s Me Again Jah Jah are anthems that people know well, and the singer accompanies them by words of prayer and wisdom. Luciano even takes the time to introduce his band, something not many artists did this weekend: the music is brought to us by Otis on bass, Icient on drums, Chris on guitar, Lenny on percussions, Cyrus and musical director Adrian on keys, Brother Gabriel on saxophone as well as Empresses Aisha, Harmony and Allison on backing vocals, plus sound engineer Michael. When this concentrated load of musical talent plays their last note, vibes are high, flags are waving, and people seem reluctant to leave.

Moderators D Flame and Ganjaman take over for the final announcements, some of which are these: “You are still here even though it rains, you are still loud, so thank you for your patience, for your vibes! You make this festival what it is, so please give yourself a loud round of applause, Reggae Jam! I want to apologize in the name of all for the delays, for the cancellations and changes of plan on short notice.” And Sheriff adds: “Thank you for being here, despite the rain, you are simply amazing!” He then receives a gift from Wolfgang (a jacket with the word Sheriff on the back), and hands the mic over to Bersenbrück’s mayor Christian Klütsch, who sends out some final greetings. And then, just like that, this year’s edition of the Reggae Jam 2025 is over!

Hopefully, y’all got what you came for, whether it’s a special artist, the Dancehall vibes, the Roots Camp sessions or simply this big colorful community, meeting people you only get to see once a year. True, there were some issues to be fixed: the newly introduced QR-Codes (or, rather, the scanners) didn’t work at times, the new security company had some very unfriendly employees, the spatial proximity of the Roots Camp and the Sound Wonderland caused some tensions and the sound situation on the Red Stage needs some serious improvement. The bottom line, however, is that Sheriff and his team overcame all obstacles and pulled off another memorable event, and when it mattered most (as in the case of a medical emergency or looking for the parents of a lost child or bringing the artists to the venue in time), the “big whole”, as we would say in German, worked out just fine. 

To sum up, this weekend leaves us filled to the brim with music and encounters, and if you'd ask me for my personal highlights, I'd say that the voices and performances of Kaylan Arnold, The Rising Suns, Nature Ellis, Rik Jam, Marcus Gad, Jah Tung and the great Luciano left a lasting impression, as well as the heartical runnings over at the Roots Camp. 

Thank you, and see y'all next year!!!