Goa Sunsplash 2021 Highlights
Relive the unforgettable moments of Goa Sunsplash 2021 with our gallery of videos, photos, radio highlights, and lineup.
Line-up Highlights
Clinton Fearon
Clinton Fearon
Jamaica 🇯🇲
Clinton Fearon is a composer, songwriter, singer and player of instruments since his early teens.
Born in Jamaica, Clinton became the bassist, vocalist and lyricist of the mythic Gladiators at the age
of 19. He was also a session musician for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s at
Black Ark in the 70s, two of the main producers on the island at this time. There Clinton composed
some everlasting bass lines for well-known artists like Yabby You, Jimmy Riley, Max Romeo, Junior
Byles and many others.
After leaving Jamaica in 1987, Clinton Fearon started a new career in Seattle. Him and some of the
musicians of The Gladiators took advantage of the extra time remaining on their visa, at the end of
the US tour, to started a band in the Northwest: The Defenders. The band built a nice following in the
area until they split after five years. Clinton Fearon finally formed his own band in the mid 90s with
local musicians in Seattle, Clinton Fearon and Boogie Brown Band.
Since 2005 and the release of Mi An Mi Guitar, Clinton is also giving magical performances in solo
acoustic. In 2012, he released a second acoustic opus: Heart And Soul, 16 songs written between
1969-1984 while Clinton Fearon was a member of the Gladiators in Jamaica.
Clinton Fearon recorded 12 albums under his own name and he is touring the world with this
impressive repertoire, accompanied by a band or in solo acoustic.
Each song of Clinton Fearon is a strong message coming from the heart of a man who is dedicating
his life to help a better world to come. With chiselled music and poetic lyrics, he opens reggae to a
wider audience who simply loves his beautiful songs.
“My music is roots reggae from the island of Jamaica. I grew up deep in the hills, up in St. Catherine,
surrounded by nature, beauty and hard work. Even as a child, I knew I wanted to be a musician and
began my career singing in church and at school, and eventually built my own guitar! As a teenager,
my journeys took me to Kingston where I met many musicians and began writing and recording
music. The Skatalites, Motown artists and Jamaican musicians who came before me all influenced my
music.
I write from my heart. The world is full of inspirations… nature, people, politics, love. I write about
them all. My music is good for the soul – always with a message of hope and betterment for
tomorrow. It’s good for dancing, good for listening and I think it’s good for all.”Clinton Fearon
Apache Indian
Apache Indian
United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Apache Indian is the stage name of dancehall/reggae/pop DJ and singer Steven Kapur (born on 11 May 1967 in Handsworth, Birmingham, best known for his iconic international hit "Boomshackalak" (also known by many other titles such as "Boom Shack-A-Lak").
He introduced a combination of the traditional Indian bhangra music with the style of raggamuffin, the mix-up often known as bhangramuffin, to the world with his first album, 1993's 'No Reservations'. That release was produced by Simon & Diamond, Phil Chill, Robert Livingston, Bobby Digital, and Sly Dunbar. It was followed by 'Make Way for the Indian', produced by Sly & Robbie, The Press, Mafia & Fluxy, Pandit Dinesh, and Chris Lane. That album notably featured rapper Tim Dog and spawned the massive hit Boom Shack-A-Lak", which has been used in several movies and has become a sort of 'signature song' for Apache Indian .
'Real People', produced by Harjinder Noparat, proved to be his most experimental album and also featured more Indian elements than many of his previous releases. 'Karma', his first album of the new century, was a return to more traditional forms of reggae. That album featured Luciano, Boy George, and Mafia & Fluxy.
As stated before, Apache Indian merged raggamuffin with Indian music as well as influences from mainstream dance music and pop rap. Born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. He helped to start a trend that has found a huge following. He's also the only Asian to date to have seven Top 40 Hits on the mainstream British charts. Stylistically, Apache Indian generally moved from mixing Indian music with raggamuffin and commercial rap to exploring more traditional forms of reggae on his most recent albums.
Lyrically, Apache Indian - who always uses Jamaican English - is known for his sharp social criticism ("Arranged Marriage" featuring Natacha Atlas; "Mention") as well as his party tracks ("Boomshackalak", "Jump Up").
Apache Indian has recorded with Boyz II Men, Blackstreet, Wreckx 'n' Effect, UB40, US chart topper Sean Paul, Maxi Priest, General Levy, Brian and Tony Gold, Shaggy, Yami Bolo, Boy George, A.R. Rahman, Sameera Singh. Asha Bhosle and Pras of the Fugees.
Reggae singer Sean Paul, who has been on the top of Billboard charts with his single with Beyonce, toured the US with Apache Indian.
For his first album "No Reservation", he had signed a contract worth £250,000 pounds with Island Records - one of the largest sums paid for a debut album by a non-white artist.
"Boomshackalak" was featured in five different Hollywood movies, including "Dumb And Dumber". More significantly, the song has featured in a record 52 commercials across the globe, featuring various brands.
Now it features on the "Scooby Doo 2" soundtrack, along with international names like Fatboy Slim, The B-52's, 2 Unlimited and New Radicals.
His composition "Om Namah Shivay" also features on Putumayo World Music World Reggae, a collection of reggae-influenced tracks performed by artists from around the world. The World Reggae compositions blend the upbeat and soulful groove of reggae with exotic local influences to create new and appealing variations that will appeal to music lovers everywhere.
Apache Indian was also nominated for the Central Britain Media and Arts Asian Jewel Award in 2004.
Joseph Cotton
Joseph Cotton
Jamaica 🇯🇲
Joseph Cotton was born Silbert Walton, 1957 in St. Ann, Jamaica. His father is the noted Count Ossie. Prior to working in the music industry Joseph Cotton worked a year in the Jamaican Police Force. In 1976 he recorded as Jah Walton for Joe Gibbs. In 1977 he recorded a number of tracks for Harry Mudie, including a popular combination with fellow deejay Prince Heron- »Stay A Yard and Praise God«. He also recorded the songs »Touch Her Where She Want It Most« and the humorous »Married to A Bank Cashier«. For Sonia Pottinger he recorded over a re-recording of the Techniques »It's Raining«. In 1982 he released »All Kinda People Come to the Dance« and »Senator Dee« - the latter bearing influences of deejay Nicodemus. These recordings led to Cotton being recorded at Channel One releasing the song »River to the Bank«.
In the mid 80's he changed his name from Jah Walton to Joseph Cotton and by 1984 he had released his second album Talk Of The Town on the Thunderbolt label - the striking cover art done by the legendary Limonious. Walton recorded »No Touch The Style« for Fashion Records in 1987 and it was an immense hit. The success of the song led to a television appearance in 1987 on Channel 4 Club Mix. This was followed by numerous hits such as »Things Running Slow«, »Pat Ha Fe Cook«, »Tutoring«, »Judge Cotton«, and also a combination with Janet Lee Davis (credited to her alter ego Shako Lee), »What Is This«.
In the late 80's he teamed up with producer Glen Brown. During the 90's he recorded with Errol Dunkley, Sylvie Tella and also appeared as Jah Walton with Dennis Alcapone at the Essential Festival Weekender '97. In 1998 the german label Moll-Selekta put together a compilation of his earliest recordings - Dancehall Days 1976-1984
Joseph Cotton is currently residing in Paris, France where he still is recording having released with French labels such as Belleville International.
Bobby Hustle
Bobby Hustle
United States of America 🇺🇸
Seattle, Washington-born reggae songwriter and performer, now residing and recording in Los Angeles. His story and sound are like no one else's!
Bobby was first exposed to Jamaican-style music in middle school when he became fascinated by the island rhythms being re-purposed by third wave ska bands like Sublime, Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish. His adolescent interest in that sound eventually led him straight to the source and he quickly discovered that Jamaica had a lot more to offer than just ska. He began to explore reggae crafted by Jamaican artists who were popular at the end of the 90s – artists like Anthony B, Capleton, and Sizzla – and he quickly became obsessed. He scoured the Emerald City for any reggae record he could get his hands on, hoping to soak up as much Jamaican music, dialect, and culture as he could.
In 2010, Bobby Hustle began voicing reggae productions and, true to his name, he has worked industriously for labels from all over the world. In addition to his home camp, Loud City Music, he has written and recorded songs for many prominent outfits like the bicoastal American crew, Lustre Kings Productions, and German super-group, Jugglerz Records. Since his debut EP, Always On The Hustle, in 2011, Bobby has released five mixtapes, five more EPs and a full length album, It’s The Hustle. In his thirteen year career, Bobby Hustle has contributed songs to over 60 different riddim releases and collaborated with some of the best reggae artists in the world, including the iconic Sizzla Kalonji, prolific artists like Lutan Fyah, Mikey General, Cali P, Collie Buddz, The Movement, Josh Heinrichs and Skillinjah.
All of Bobby’s hard work has given him exposure, and he has built a following from all over the world. Bobby’s music has taken him to places like Japan, Russia, Germany and Italy. He has performed opening duties for crucial reggae artists like Gappy Ranks, Konshens, Protoje, Mr. Vegas and Third World just to name a few. But his success has not come without obstacles, most notably, a two year stay in Costa Rica beginning in 2016, where Bobby awaited trial for a drug trafficking charge that resulted from a misunderstanding while he was on tour. Determined to fight the charge, he refused to accept a plea deal that would have given him a lighter sentence. Bobby knew he was innocent and decided that he would do everything in his power to keep his freedom. After 22 months there, he was found not guilty of all charges and he was able to return to his friends and family in Seattle in December of 2017.
After his return to the US in 2018, Bobby relocated to Los Angeles. His EP, Wolaba Vibes: The Costa Rica Sessions, a collection of songs he recorded while in Costa Rica, came out in May 2019. In December 2019, he renewed his passport and performed two shows in Israel, making his first trip abroad since his trial in Costa Rica. Little did he know, just a few months later he'd be stuck in one place again...
Lockdown didn't stop him. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Hustle dropped 19 songs including, “As Good As It Seems”. The song was featured on Spotify’s editorial playlist “Sunshine Reggae”, now with over 2.5 million streams on the platform. In 2021, Bobby continued his pattern of frequent releases by offering up two EPs, Side Hustle and The Right Place, as well as a host of singles.
2022 brought new opportunities for the Hustle. Just as live show restrictions began to lift in Southern California, Bobby started his new band and throughout the latter half of the year, they began to perform regularly throughout the region.
In Aug. 2023, Bobby released his sophomore album "Proof Of Concept" in collaboration with Loud City. Fifteen modern reggae tracks in his own unique style, the album features reggae greats Lutan Fyah, Mikey General, Perfect Giddimani and the up-and-coming firebrand Koro Fyah!
Since the Covid restrictions have now officially been lifted, Bobby Hustle is getting back on the road nationally and internationally. Whether he performs with his backing band or with his DJ, Yungg Trip, one thing for certain is Bobby's undeniable stage presence and his love for the craft of entertaining. So make sure you don't miss the opportunity to see this rising star on a stage near you.
Forelock
Forelock
Italy 🇮🇹
Forelock , in these last years proved to be the most promising voice of the Italian reggae: with a lot of collaborations, started his last journey in Jamaica, he achived the title of "Top Singa" by reggae community, in Italy and abroad. In 2008 Forelock joined Arawak family, and achieved some of the biggest stages in Europe and collaboration with legends of reggae music.
DJ Chiqui Dubs
DJ Chiqui Dubs
Panama 🇵🇦
One knows him with the name of war of: " DJ CHIQUI DUBS " is one of the most consecrated and very known like "DJ REGGAE SELECTOR" worldwide in LatinoAmérica's and Europe. Since 2001 of work as selector and producer, his activity has been frantic. He has led programs of reggae in radios and Tv, Producer Song and has performed houndres of Parties and festival in more than 20 countries in LatinoAmerica and Europe like: Jamaica, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, México, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Guadalupe island, Grand Caymand, Canadá, UK, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, France, Sweden, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Tenerife and many mores.
Goa Sunsplash 2021 Videos