Subscribe
TOGETHER EVERYBODY HAVE A PARTY
And I mean that in the sincerest sense. These guys exude a chill vibe, calling to Jah on high, I and I Rastafari between every song. Rising above the mud below, from questioning lyrics of “Who are you, who are you?” to the later “Have a party!” The lead preacher (singer) and hand drummer Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah clad in authentic garb, white/gold robe and dread cap, was there at Orange Court to brighten your day, keeping you bobbing up and down dub style in your rubber boots. The guitarist’s gear was an ostentatious yellow plaid suit/vest set, and the hype guy, who actually just stood to the side smiling the entire set, more like a spiritual assistant than a hype guy, had dreads down to the floor; and I am not even embellishing. The keyboardist was a little stoic, younger than the other members by at least 20 years, hopefully there to give longevity to some of these songs and styles being passed on and around a rotating musical cast revolving around Bonjo’s effervescent high on Jah life stage presence.
Only in Japan would the entire crowd be seemingly Ganja-free, no smoke besides the occasional cigarette drifted by me, though Bonjo’s rejoicing about food, such as roast banana and sour fish certainly got my tummy a little grumbling for something to satiate my dancing hunger, probably to be of ethnic persuasion, as this festival has such a diverse array of world foods to pick from, at reasonable prices, too! Playing at suppertime, it is no doubt the last few songs’ mid-song banter revolved around Jah food, ya mon! And my own personal quirk of funny wordplay, was that Bonjo’s “Ya mon” sounded an awful lot like “Yabai,” which means awesome in Japanese.
All in all, I and I African Head Charge was a laid back suppertime session that was “Yabai” in my Fuji Rock sketchbook.
Photo courtesy 佐俣美幸. See more photo review here
