Lost in Time Festival hopeful in its second year
AFTER LAST year’s stellar staging, the Lost in Time Festival has returned for round two. At the media launch for the In.Digg.Nationled event hosted at the AC Hotel Kingston, festival director Protoje and his band of musical friends, collaborators, sponsors and supporters gathered to build excitement for the approaching jamboree.
Though the night didn’t offer a performance from the man himself, he took the stage several times to share some of his musings.
Opening with gratitude, he said, “It’s crazy the support and the energy the festival has been getting in its second year. Usually you take a long time to build a reputation, but last year was crazy.”
This year ’s line-up will include sets from Romain Virgo, Ras-I, Ruckus & Royal Blu, Jah9, Sevana, Samory I and new artistes Khalia and Jah Lil.
Headlining the show, King Digg will be joined by both Lila Iké and Jesse Royal for a shared set.
Explaining his rationale Protoje said,“We’re doing a joint headline set with Protoje, Lila Iké [and] Jesse Royal on [the] stage, one time. We did it on tour in some city, I couldn’t remember. I just couldn’t wait for the end of the night to go on stage so I just ran on stage first and call up Jesse, call up Lila and we were like ‘Yow, is a good energy.’ People loved it and we thought it would just be good to just give people something different.”
After going on to praise all the artistes, Protoje encouraged the audience to get familiar with new musical blood.
“The thing about this festival is if you don’t know an artiste, you go do the research and do it because that’s a part of the thing to make it sustainable so that we can be here next year and next year and [the] year after. Mi very excited for the festival. As mi say, the festival must have young artistes that are making their way because that is the only way the festival can survive like five, six years from now.”
Chiming in to share his praises for his frequent collaborator, Jesse Royal began,“I really wah we make some noise for Protoje and the team. It’s not as easy as it looks sometimes.”
Sharing his own admiration for the festival, Royal explained he is hopeful that this will inspire more reggae-centred showcases locally.
“Jamaica created reggae. We moved the world and shaped the world so much in terms of culture but we don’t present our art enough. We don’t have enough spaces that present our artistes like the superstars that they are and how they are treated around the world.”
He continued, “Lost in Time, for me, is so important as a festival yes, but also fi inspire the youth dem weh a forward. Jamaica still has much space and so many things fi offer and so many more days in the year that we can make useful in the name of reggae. I definitely know that it’s gonna be an exciting festival. I, myself, am looking forward to a lot of the performances.”
Ending his remarks, Protoje encouraged the audience to arrive early, not only to take in the music but make the day a family affair.
“Mi need fi say this. The show nah guh end at five, six in the morning, yuh understand. It’s like a day into night show. So when you see your artiste a perform at six o’clock, if the show did a go end at five in the morning [with that early show time], a woulda midnight. A still prime time... . You affi forward out early. Everybody who go last year know say if me say the thing say eight o’clock show time, it mean a eight o’clock the person a start. We a go start it from inah the day. We [nuh] want unuh forward out [late], show done all 12:30 and go hold a next vibe.”
Summing up, he added, “It’s a full vibe and experience. It’s not just about the music, yes, music is at the peak of it but it’s about the experience, hanging out, seeing people, having a good energy, having some wholesome fun. Bring yuh youth dem same way.”
Lost in Time will be held at Palm Drive, Hope Gardens, on February 24.