Warrior Sound 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 the niceness ahead, so make sure you stay tuned to not miss a thing!

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 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. Somebody 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, 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. 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 checking 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 and an African bredrin called Cobby Anoyntin, spitting a few bars and also rocks the bass. 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 haven’t been 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 to 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. It’s in the final song Kanake that 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 a New York DJ: 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 part, 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 each other, shouting their welcome from afar, laughing and hugging and taking a group selfie. 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 jumping in the water for a swim.

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
Having skipped the German band Treasure B to continue working on this report, I arrive in time for the last part of 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 couldn’t make it) has now finally arrived: Rik Jam & Dalwayne! Straight outta JA, the young talents were discovered 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 (I wonder how you can “lose” a baby that is barely able to walk?!), 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 Mr. 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). 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 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 then 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 tea 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.