We’re alive, despite the strong economic crisis: a growing audience in the four days, that completely filled Torcito Park the 14th of August, has supported a summer of blood and tears for the music industry and for tourism. A very encouraging and important thing (our festival is almost exclusively financed by ticket sales), compared with a minimal public support for a festival with a great history and a considerable impact on the area.
Despite our age, we stay young: in thirteen editions we have been able to evolve and to make ourselves permeable to changes in the music, in society, in the generations…always maintaining a link with our roots.
At Gusto Dopa 2012 Dj Gruff and Irene La Medica introduced Salmo and Clementino, in an extraordinary compendium of national high-grade hip hop culture. Even Skizo, Tormento, Dj War and the legendary Soul Boy gave substance and style, both from the main-stage and from the beside Red Bull bus, in the changes on the stage, in the warm-up and in the contests. From the last year contest, has come on the main stage Mirko Miro, accompanied by master Dj Skizo at the turntables.
This year we wanted Caparezza and Nina Zilli, because we think that the pop impact of these artists on the Italian music of the last few years is something positive, not at all alien to our history and identity. This has also been demonstrated by the phenomenal Giuliano Palma with a special set expressly built for Gusto Dopa, one of the last with the Bluebeaters before engaging in his new solo phase.
Special were all the others live, from Mama Marjas and Miss Mykela to the new Combass project and Africa Unite, which are split in Dub Sync in an after of dub power and bass riot. Moreover, great hip hop-reggae with Calabrian flavors with the great family of Macro Beats feat Macro Marco, Kiave, Ghemon, Gioman and Killacat.
No expectation has been disappointed by the two great headliners “of the house”: the Sud Sound System celebrated our roots together with the Jamaicans, “cu li Jamaicani” TOK, with five thousand people jumping together. Same warmth of extended family with Alborosie, who again reported a record attendance at Gusto Dopa: the Italian-Jamaican phenomenon keeps on being credible and loved all around the world. Before Alborosie, two important new roots realities produced by him had the possibility to perform in front of the wide public of Gusto Dopa: the American Jah Sun and the Italians Boom Boom Vibration.
Gusto Dopa al Sole is ready for the new challenges that await us, which we are already preparing with the new name introduced this year: SURF, which stands for Salento Urban Reggae Festival. We’ll talk about next summer!
