SunBeach: The Rototom is enjoyed at the beach

For all those lingerers who feel like lying down on the sand listening to good music, or those who wake up with such a hangover only dissipated by a good swim on the sea, or simply those who know that the endless energy of the Rototom Sunsplash goes beyond the venue's fences and want to check it by themselves, there is the Sunbeach that offers free activities for all public from 11:00 to 19:00 at the beach of Heliópolis, which can be reached by bus from the festival's premises.

Until today, the program of activities of the SunBeach is being carried out with total fidelity, including the morning circus workshop, the African dance course and the dancehall course, activities alternated with two music sessions played by different DJ's coming from various parts of the world. The first session, from 13:00 to 15:00, includes reggae, roots and foundation styles, while in the closing one – from 18:30 to 19:30 - the sand dance floor gets full of dub, new roots and dancehall sounds.

Looking no further, yesterday the SunBeach was livened up in the morning by the musical suitcase of Reggaeland, Marcus & Genís, both from Catalonia, and by the guest OBF in the afternoon; three DJ's that not only have attracted the attention of the Rastafarians present at the beach today, but also have appealed to the people from the town and the tourists. These seem very pleased for having a space at the beach all week where listening to good music and meeting new people. The list of DJ's invited to the Sun Beach of the Rototom 2012, includes names of artists coming from Spain, France, Italy, UK and even Japan, some of them leaving a mark amongst the fans of this area. Jamal, coordinator of the SunBeach music section and member of La Plana Tropikal – tropical sound system from the Levant area -, tells us that during the second session, the sand dance floor is everyday full of people of different styles, and that is because "it is best to have a beer at the beach at that time of the day, and even, listening to quality music", as some young people from Benicàssim, followers of the SunBeach, assert. Lampa, presenter and Italian DJ with a long trajectory working for the Rototom Sunsplash – from its third edition – declares that the idea of the SunBeach is a good one because it complements the rest of areas with recorded music, since this one "is the more relaxed", says.

In respect to the reactions from the public, it is remarkable that there are a lot of people who come back every day to spend it at the SunBeach. Miriam, from Totana (Murcia) has come to Benicàssim with some friends and works while she enjoys the SunBeach. "I work to Rototom's rhythm", she recounts. Miriam makes and arrange braids and dreadlocks. "I am in no hurry when I am at work, because the important thing is that the breads are well made", she explains. Seems like the music at the SunBeach, apart from fun, inspires the job well done. We also find people who attend daily their favourite dance workshop, as it is the case of Ivan from Zaragoza, who declares that both workshops – the African dance and the dancehall onel – "have a very good fun side". And it seems that this side attracts many fans of the Jamaican culture. The Dancehall workshop is being given by Attitude Dancehall Crew, with Pakkia Crew on the decks. Pakki also played its favourite music last Saturday at the closing session of the SunBeach.

Today, Tuesday, we welcome on the beach of Heliópolis the guest DJ's Bambiriling, who assure that the reggae and roots music session to be played in the morning will leave no one indifferent. The term "Bambiriling" is a pun that refers to a voice warming exercise carried out by singers before performing.

Charlie S. Sepúlveda | Translated by: Mª Paz Marcos Silvestre