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TMRW.TDay ~ The Vibe

June 17, 2017 By Michael

Photo (above) by Corey Hamilton

Culture Festival in Jamaica | TMRW.TDAY | Beachside Music Venue (Photo Description: Stage facing towards the land and the photo is taken looking straight at the stage towards the ocean horizon | Seven Mile Beach | Photo Credit: Michael Morahan
TMRW.TDAY | Negril, Jamaica | Photo Credit: Michael Morahan

TMRW.TDAY is a unique gathering of mindful reggae lovers. The cultural fest has a touch of house, a toe-pinch of white sand beach, a mouthful of flavorful fruits, a breeze filled with tropic scents, and island lifestyle for the retreat of a lifetime, and plenty of reggae to sooth your soul.

As an American who had never been to Jamaica before, it took a few days to reset my urgent internal clock, from a rapid walk to a soulful stride, more closely matching the graceful rhythm of the waves.

With early morning 8am, (yes this was ‘crack of the dawn early’ or the coffee shop is still closed early), Meditation the day started with a gentle stretch of the body and mind.  The venue was a 5-minute walk from where I stayed, so just an easy stroll on the beach and I was on “festival grounds”.  The meditation on the beach was enhanced with some live instrumentation for stress elevation.

Irie Soul's Stacy leading a yoga/meditation class ~ Savasana ~ Photo by Corey Hamilton
Irie Soul’s Stacy leading a yoga/meditation class ~ Savasana ~ Photo by Corey Hamilton

The Irie Soul Beach Wellness Program has a plentiful schedule of meditation (starting at 8am) and various yoga classes throughout the day. Clear-minded people flow off the mat and into the mingling area. Friendships created from the chance occurrences at Chances on the Beach.

With fruit drinks, a full bar and some local food, everyone is well nourished and in a good mood.

The pace of ‘island time’ is a phenomenon not unique to Jamaica.

The tides map the hours of most businesses and the music fills the void.

The event schedules tended to begin at least 30 minutes late, which made it easy to be early.

The live headlining acts command control of the 11pm-2am time frame.

Fun Fact:

The newly enacted Jamaican law requires a permit to host events at night and promoters must obey the Noise Abatement Act. “… permission is given to have an event up to 12 midnight during the week and 2:00 a.m. on weekends…  These laws are to protect the patrons that are coming to your events. Organizers must take into consideration the safety and security of the patrons. We (JCF) want the patrons to be safe,” – Head of the JCF’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), Superintendent Stephanie Lindsay (Jamaican Government).

 

Naturally, music pushes the limits.

 

Photo Credit: Russell Ward
Main Stage TMRW.TDAY | Negril, Jamaica | Protoje | Photo Credit: Russell Ward

 

Tmrw.Tday is run on island time and is designed for relaxation. With built in “just chill mon” times from 9am-4pm followed by a drum circle session from 4pm-7pm, one is never rushed.  Plenty of time for livin, chillin, and being. A dive into the tropical jungle. A dip into the calm ocean.  A soak on the white-sand beach.

Photo of the sunset over the ocean with a small motor boat silhouetted in the foreground.
Photo by Michael Morahan

The pace of the island is ⅔’s time, a slow wandering stroll’s beat.

The energy of the island comes from the sun during the day and from the people at night.

Looking back on the festival…

Tmrw.Tday was simple yet diverse. Easy to navigate yet spread out.  The variety of venues and attendees made the whole thing a pleasant experience.  We are excited for what the future of this Culture Festival has in the works.  First-year festivals are by definition an experiment, a new test and there are many unknowns to be worked out along the way.  With the first year

Don’t worry, we covered the music from Tmrw.Tday as well!  Music from Jamaica and Tmrw.Tday Festival 

 

 

 


 

Impressions from the Jamaican Culture:

Photo of street market in Negril, Jamaica. Colorful bags and clothes hanging on walls.
Photo by Michael Morahan

[quote] A morning went a little something like this:

I stroll to the beachside restaurant.  Get out my pen, notebook, & order:

“A Jamrock omelet, coffee & water, please”

“Ya mon”

“Thank you”

The rain yields for the time being to a cloudy haze that blends the ocean’s horizon into the sky.

The temperature is ripe.

The humidity is lively.

The pulse of the island is coming into light.

From the crickets of the night to the dancing paintings and carvings on the wall, music runs through them all.

The soulful melodies spill forth, almost involuntarily, from the locals.

Is everyone a natural vocalist?

[/quote]

The small businesses thrive in Jamaica and the markets are vibrant with people and goods. One person employment can be seen from the seven-mile beach.

One beach hustler’s day

Mad Rebel Recording Studio with two musicians out front of the ocean-front recording studio| Negril, Jamaica | Photo Credit: Michael Morahan
Mad Rebel Recording Studio | Negril, Jamaica | Photo Credit: Michael Morahan

A man carries coconuts, straws, and a hatchet. “Coconuts…” he says, as he walks along the beach trying to make eye contact with any and all tourists. He takes 5-7 steps.  “Coconuts…”  he repeats, as he is now 1o-15 feet further down the beach. He knows the limitation of his voice’s range and he is competing, after all, with other people and the ocean.  Again 5-7 steps.  Finally, “Coconut Mon….” for the last 1/3 of his vocal cadence.  The three-part vocal loop seems to serve as advertising, a pace setter, a marching beat, and reassurance that he is actually getting somewhere on the 7-mile beach.  If you are sitting on the beach you will probably hear the loop twice as he passes. What is that rule 7 for advertising again?  Oh ya, that people buy after they hear about your product several times.  When business is good, a quick walk inland and a new harvest can be acquired. When the sun gets low the day is done.

Each step is one closer to a new sale.  “Co-conut”… “Coco-nut”… “Coconut Mon”…

“There are around 500 beach hustlers” – Paul (beach hustler)

There is an ever-changing flow of people, tourists, and travelers who soak up the island tropical sun.

Friendly entrepreneurs selling a story with their product or service. Friendly people so jolly that a word is worth it.

The smooth trotting pink-hatted horse riding salesman, slowly making his moves. Everyone is hustling their products and services

A Yoga class stretching on the beach. Photo by Corey Hamilton with a man in a pick hat leading a horse in the background by the edge of the ocean.
Yoga Stretch | Photo by Corey Hamilton 

Later that day, the pink-hatted beach horse salesman scored a lady tourist for the ride of a life. He washes the young rider with vocal melodies and song.  With gentle guidance and a quick step, the man leads the lady and horse along the water’s edge. (The legend himself can be seen in background of the picture – see left)  
Creativity in approach, service, products & storytelling is on full display. Rude guests foil high hopes.

Clearly, the Jamaican culture benefits from tourism, festivals, the cross-cultural exchange of ideas.  Jamaica continues to attract creative minded people to the lush jungles and white sand beaches, to enjoy a brief visit to paradise.


 

 


 

 

 

We covered the music from Tmrw.Tday as well! Read and take a listen here: Music from Jamaica and Tmrw.Tday Festival 

 

 

Filed Under: Caribbean, EARTH, English (US), Festival, Genre, Islands, Jamaica, Language, New Music, Reggae, Tmrw.Tday, Vocals Tagged With: #TmrwTday, 2017, 7 Mile Beach, be, Beach, Culture, Culture Fest, fest, Festival, Food, freio, fresh, gathering, happy, irie, jamaica, laugh, Meditation, Mile, Mindful, Music, Negril, Ocean, Paradise, Party, Peace, Reggae, sand, Scenic, Seven, smile, smiles, Soul, sun, sunny, tday, Tmrw, Tmrw.Tday, TMRWTDAY17, TmrwtTday, Tropic, TT17, warm, West Indies, Yoga

Arise Music Festival

August 27, 2015 By Julien Deroeux

 

For its third year in a row, Arise Festival has united music lovers of all genres bringing an eclectic diversity of musical talent over the three day weekend in Loveland, Colorado.

It wasn’t just the quality performances across four stages that drew the crowd of over 5000 lovely people to the secret valley. It was the yoga, films, workshops, dialogues, live performances, and art that were enough to keep everybody smiling through the 90° days of Colorado sunshine. The week before the festival even began, the Permaculture Action Course brought people together for permaculture education and community building with a focus on catalyzing social transformation. The Polish Ambassador held his touring Permaculture Action Day at the venue with volunteers to actively regenerate biodiversity and natural resources. The family-friendly venue spanned over 100 acres surrounded by colorful mountains and festival-goers were treated with perfect weather and vibrantly stunning sunsets throughout the entire weekend.

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At the elevation of 5394 ft. the thin air complemented crisp music of four music stages. The Eagle Stage hosted the largest of acts, sitting in a bowl and providing perfect views of the stage and down a valley of red-toned rocky mountains. Immediately next to that, was the Phoenix Stage which provided alternation in music to virtually never stop between the two stages. On the other end of the venue, the Area 51 Stage presented by TheUntz was dedicated to electronic music with 3D projection mapping, premium sound, and brought the dance party all day lasting through the night. The StarWater People’s Stage provided a constant array of music showcasing local talent that will surely become the next big names in Colorado. A stage dedicated to yoga in the Yoga Zone, rested on a hill above the festival grounds where people could embody their energies with leaders from all over the globe. During the hot days, the air-conditioned Big Sunrise Dome held films, intimate music and storytelling, and presentations.

DSC_0647

 

This year, Arise continued to focus on uniting conscious music that aligns with the theme of conscious action, ecological activism, and social justice. Special guests were prevalent in nearly every act. In between promoting environmental awareness and expanding the gardens of Sunrise Ranch, The Polish Ambassador brought the largest crowd of the weekend with his funky smooth music that left attendees on an uplifted note for the rest of the weekend. Brooklyn based Turkuaz had the surprising highlight of the weekend blasting a mesmerizing set full of their unique take on funk with their powerhouse horn section and they’re beautiful singers. Earlier in the day, The ReMINDers raised faith in hip hop with Big Samir’s smooth flow complimented by Aja Black’s amazing voice. Not only did they rock the main stage, but the following day, they took over the Children’s Village playing a low key show for the kids and parents. Instruments were passed out among the children while other kids played on the hand built drums around the stage to join them in making music. Other musically talented people joined in to play saxophone and acoustic guitar; then kids danced on stage and even sang along side The ReMINDers. It was very heart warming to see a main stage act get intimate and spread smiles across all ages as they joined in on the music.

DSC_1148
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

 

Saturday had a jam-packed musical lineup between the adjacent Eagle and Phoenix stages, allowing fans to never have to leave their spot. The non-stop music went from Nederland’s The Magic Beans, to the many musical styles of Ozomatli, to reggae’s finest Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, to the rocking Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, then chilling out with Wildlight, ending with the soothing beats of The Human Experience. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, formed by drummer Joe Russo from Furthur, brought many dedicated fans out to Loveland that night. With their rockin’ take on Grateful Dead songs, JRAD performed a highly energetic show that left the crowd wanting more. Those who missed them, should be sure to catch them in their next show. If it was possible to leave the continuous music at all, the Area 51 stage was packed with endless fun as well. The jamtronica trio hailing from Fort Collins, Skydyed fused electronic feels with funk, rock, and bass. Tnertle brought the Denver electro-funk before Defunk gave everybody a taste of his electro-soul beats.

DSC_1058

The final day wound down with peaceful music across all stages leaving fans happily content before they head back to all over the country. Boulder reggae band Intuit brought their local captivating music to the Starwater People’s Stage. After playing to a sold out crowd at Red Rocks Amphitheater last week with Dirtyheads and Slightly Stoopid, Stick Figure continued the reggae vibes and graced us with their uplifting music. The large band Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros played a very enlightening show with lead singer Alex Ebert taking the time to preach love across the crowd. One of Colorado’s favorites, Mikey Thunder brought his fun-packed party to the Area 51 Stage before saQi performed his set full of mystic music sometimes backed by his soothing trumpet. Closing out the festival, Trevor Hall played his acoustic reggae to the loving crowd, bringing special guest singers and even a golden retriever to keep the feelings of peace spread throughout.

DSC_1273

Overall, everything at the hybrid festival was incomparably flawless. Our journey, from beginning to end, was amazing in every way. Entering the venue with our cars was seamless, the festival grounds were immaculately clean, food vendors showed off their tastiest foods, and every single staff member and volunteer was genuinely helpful and kind. But it was the perfect camping, mind-opening workshops, earthbound yoga, and star-studded lineup over a weekend of beautiful weather that was one to never forget as we look forward to the next time we can all come together to experience what Arise has to offer.

 

Arise_watermarked (13 of 18) (1)

 

 

:: A FreioMusic collaboration with Julien Deroeux & Duncan Lowder ::

 

 

 

Filed Under: Arise, Arise 2015, Colorado, EARTH, Festival, Live Music, Loveland, New Music, North America, Sunrise Ranch, USA, Venues Tagged With: #DEFUNK, #MIKEY THUNDER, #SAQI, #WILDLIGHT, 2015, Alex Ebert, Area 51, Arise, Arise Music Festival 2015, Colorado, Colorado Festival, Crowd, Deroeux, Duncan, Duncan Lowder, Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Festival, freio, FreioMusic, Giant Panda Gorilla Dub Squad, Intuit, Joe Russo, Joe Russo's Almost Dead, Julien, Julien Deroeux, Love, Loveland, Lowder, Music, Namaste, Ozomatli, Peace, Polish Ambassador, Skydyed, Stick Figure, SunRise Ranch, The Human Experience, The Magic Beans, The ReMINDers, The Untz, Tnertle, Trevor Hall, Turkuaz, Yoga, Yoga Festival

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