Scrolling through Facebook last week, I stumbled upon something extraordinary: Sister Nancy and veteran DJ Big Youth delivering a high-energy performance at the world-renowned Rototom Sunsplash Festival in Spain. This was the inspiration for writing this piece. I hope it inspires readers to explore our music, especially reggae, and not cast it aside like we did with mento, ska, and rocksteady music.
Sister Nancy, a longtime friend of mine, remains one of the most toured reggae and dancehall artists, while Big Youth’s presence was striking—particularly because in over 30 years of living in New York, I cannot recall him headlining any major festival in a city with the largest Jamaican diaspora outside of Jamaica. Yet in Spain, fans hung on every word he spoke, a clear sign of the deep respect these icons command abroad.
What began as a casual scroll soon turned into hours immersed in Rototom’s offerings—music, cultural forums, and a celebration of reggae in all its forms. Since relocating from Italy to Benicàssim, Spain, in 2010, Rototom has become one of Europe’s largest reggae festivals, drawing tens of thousands of fans each summer for an eight-day celebration of roots, dancehall, dub, and ska.
This year’s “Celebrating Life” edition featured more than 200 performances and cultural events across seven stages, while its online channels reached an astounding 3.7 million viewers worldwide.
The lineup reflected reggae’s multigenerational reach—Ky-Mani Marley performed with Italian reggae star Alborosie. But beyond the music, it was the intellectual and cultural depth that set Rototom apart for me.
At the festival’s Reggae University, Sister Nancy candidly revisited her journey, from global recognition for her anthem Bam Bam to her decades-long fight for publishing rights. Her testimony highlighted the struggle many artists face in claiming ownership of their work. Another standout was a tribute to Mad Professor, the pioneering Guyanese-British producer who marked 45 years in the industry. Joined by Nadine Sutherland, Aisha, and Big Youth, he reflected on his dub innovations and his inspiration from legends like U-Roy and Big Youth.
Big Youth used the Rototom University platform to speak his truth. In a striking moment, he revealed he never received payment for his early hit My Heart is Gone for producer Prince Buster, which he recorded in the 1970s, while Nadine shared that her 2019 collaboration with Mad Professor, Inna Mi Blood, remains one of her most meaningful recordings.
These sessions are a great source to learn more about the history of reggae and dancehall music (hence the name Rototom University) and underscore reggae’s global impact. While rooted in Jamaica, its branches now stretch firmly across Europe, Japan, and beyond. Yet the contrast was unavoidable: why aren’t these kinds of deep-dive discussions and cultural explorations more common in New York, New Jersey, Florida—or even in Jamaica itself?
In Jamaica, the music permeates daily life, but structured platforms to explore its history and intellectual legacy are rare and not appreciated by many of the youngsters. On the U.S. East Coast, reggae thrives in live concerts, yet the balance between entertainment and education often tilts heavily toward the former. As Marcus Garvey once said, “A people without knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.” Too often, the roots of reggae risk being overshadowed by fleeting hype in today’s social media-driven culture.
Rototom Sunsplash proves that reggae can be more than entertainment. It is a classroom, a cultural forum, and a global village. From Sister Nancy reclaiming her story to Mad Professor celebrating four decades of innovation, the festival offers a blueprint for how reggae should be presented: not only as music, but as a movement that continues to inspire, educate, and shape conversations worldwide.
