moflo-your online guide to Florence

Zion Train @ FLOG - 11th April

Jaka & Fire Band @ CPA - 12th April

Italian Live Reggae Showcase @ Next Emerson - 18th April

Tsunami Movement et al. @ Rufina - 24th April

Israel Vibration @ FLOG - 25th April

I have remarked a couple of times on this website that newcomers to Italy, keen on discovering the local music scene, are often surprised at the popularity of reggae music, in all its variants and offshoots, in Florence and on the Italian peninsula more generally. While at first glance, Florence's nightlife might seem dominated by a certain kind of non-descript commerically dominated 'club culture', which at its best struggles to branch out into the least adventurous of 4/4 house beats, reggae and dancehall culture has rapidly become the musical genre of choice for a large section of Florence's 'alternative' crowd in search of something different and continues to grow in popularity, fitting well with the 'no global' and 'centro sociale' scene, and providing a more mellow and melodic alternative to some of the more rock-based musical subcultures on offer in Florence.

The last two weeks have been a particularly hyperactive fortnight in the Florence reggae scene, with five sizable events, each showcasing something different yet intrinsic to the Florentine reggae movement, from well-received live acts from abroad in a packed out FLOG to local sound systems playing in an abandoned villa in the Florentine countryside until dawn, passing through performances by local artists in some of Florence's most dynamic venues.

The FLOG is the best place to see international reggae artists in Tuscany, with concerts often attacting upwards of a thousand people, and the UK's Zion Train's gig was no exception. A downpour of tropical proportions was probably the only thing that stopped the octagonal venue from selling out, as the organisers delayed the beginning of the concert in the hope that the rain might decide to stop falling. In the end, it was still raining even when the selectah pulled the needle on his last record a couple of hours after Zion Train had finished playing. Fortunately, the English dub ensemble had put on a virtuoso show, combining heavy sub-bass, live horns and brilliant live sing-jaying for the sodden crowd, who skanked and strutted until steam rose from the centre of the dancefloor in front of the stage, thus drying peopl'e drenched clothes.

While roots, rub-a-dub and raggamuffin-based reggae have all attained a certain critical mass in Florence and Italy more generally, dub has remained in the background, in contrast to other European reggae scenes, such as in France or in the UK. However, Zion Train, with their exceptional ability to mix live elements with dj-controlled beats and bass, quickly managed to convince a crowd perhaps not so accostomed to the slow and heavy rhythms of dub. he group's charasmatic Jamaican vocalist, alongside a dj sensitive to the mood of the crowd with his collection of decks and switches characteristic of a dub set, combined to build at atmosphere that swayed in time to every beat, and then begged for more following every (empty) threat that the previous tune had been the last one. It is difficult to take the institution of the encore seriously if bands begin to pretend to go off stage after three tracks, and clearly retain their biggest crowd pleasers for their 'bis', as Italians say.

Zion Train were supported by a cast of djs dabbling in dubstep beats, a scene which has begun to get going in Florence, in particular due to the hyperactivity of one crew, NUMA, who have been stopped dead in their tracks after the venue where they were resident on Thursday nights, Ex-Mud, was closed down for one reason or another for the second time in 18 months. While this scene is gaining in popularity, it showed its continued niche appeal by failing to strike a chord with an otherwise enthusiastic crowd, surprising given dubstep's liberal use of sampling of well known reggae vocals and beats.

The following day, Jaka, a Florentine reggae institution of Sicilian origin, played with his new band at the CPA, a centro sociale (see my article on this movement elsewhere on Moflo), in Southern Florence. This was something approaching a local artist, although Jaka sings in his native Sicilian, and often references the island in his lyrics, illustrating the continued dominance of the South in the production of home-grown Italian reggae. Jaka's Fire Band play a mix of roots and rub-a-dub beats, which occasionally border on the tedious, a border which is certainly crossed at times by overly 'conscious' lyrics, which tend towards the preachy at times, and the corny at others. The institution of the encore was certainly tested to the limit at this gig, but not in the same way as at the FLOG the night before, with Jaka coming back on stage despite only being requested to do so by about three members of the large crowd, who were mostly already looking forward to the local sound systems Banpay and Tsunami throwing on some of their favourite dancehall tunes, with the place staying packed until the last record.

The following Friday, under an even mightier dekuge than the previous weekend's, the Florentine reggae massive made its way faithfully to Next Emerson, another of Florence's centri sociali, to see a showcase of some of Southern Italy's best reggae vocalists alongside Sin Control, a sound system based in Florence but also of Southern origins. This event gained some kind of accidental political significance following the astonishing success of the Lega Nord in the Italian general elections a few days previously. Lu Marra, a Salentino raggamuffin, whose style is obviously influenced by that of Shaggy, impressed with his stage presence and confidence, and his flow has a rhythm and panache that few emcees can boast, but, as always, was hindered by the fact that NO-ONE understands a word he says, a result of a combination of factors, which include the fact that he sings exclusively in Salentino, but which is mostly down to the fact that he makes no effort to make anything he says comprehensible. However, his onstage chemistry with Mama Marjas kept the crowd rocking for a good while, with the latter artist, from Bari, showing off a great range of styles over some well knwn Jamaican riddims. The more melodic Fido Guido brought a lighter, not to mention comprehensible, feel to the evening, with his sing-song flows contrasting well with the heavier styles of the previous two artists.

The evening before a public holiday is always a sure bet to find some good reggae in Florence, with no-one worrying about getting up for work the next day. People celebrated the eve of the Anniversary of the Liberation of Italy by travelling out of Florence to Rufina, in the surrounding hills, to hear local sound systems Tsunami, Peace Love & Unite and 2Kings mix dancehall tracks until dawn, with a structure resembling a barn quite literally packed to the rafters. Parties in the countryside such as these are a typical feature of Florence youth culture, and are by no means limited to the reggae scene, with the only issue being making sure you have a means of getting back home once you are too tired to dance any more, although it is never difficult to find someone willing to give you a lift.

Israel Vibration, legendary Jamaican roots band, bring us full circle in this journey around Florence's rudebwoy scene, with them impressing a packed-out FLOG, with their inspirational frontmen, two singers who met while in hospital, dancing more frantically than the crowd, despite the fact that they are on crutches. At big gigs such as this one, you can really see the eclectic demographic that reggae attracts in Florence, with people of all ages and 'urban tribes' showing up alongside the more hardcore dancehall regulars. Israel Vibration played a set which was well over an hour, with roots riddims lulling the crowd into a contented trance played by an exceptionally competent group of musicians, a welcome change for a reggae concert at the FLOG where big Jamaican artists are often only accompanied by records of the riddims which they sing over, with no consequent reduction in the price that faithful customers are expected to pay.

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