Black Reign International Sound, a group of expat DJs, is offering a fresh start to the Lunar New Year with Firerama 2010, an all-night dancehall party that takes place tomorrow at The Wall (這牆) in Taipei.
Firerama is now in its second year, and for Black Reign founding members Thierry Cuvillier, aka Taili, and Oliver Hartley, aka Lion, the event presents a chance to remind revelers and teach newcomers about the importance of fire as an element in reggae.
“Fire is a symbol in the dancehall. Whenever we do a show, fire’s in there somewhere,” said Lion, a Jamaica native who explained that fire represents cleansing and purification in Rastafarian culture and reggae music. In Jamaican dancehalls, people often hold up cigarette lighters or ignite flames from aerosol cans to signal their approval of a song or performance, he said.
Black Reign hopes this tradition will catch on at Firerama. They are inviting people to bring “lighters, matches and flamethrowers,” although the latter would probably best be left to professionals. To get people in the mood, the party features a show by the Orange Fire Dance Group of Taiwan (橘舞火舞團), who perform poi, a Polynesian art that combines music, dance and swinging objects that are lit on fire.
Fire won’t be the only thing that rejuvenates the spirit at the party, said Lion. “Playing music cleanses your body, you know? You play good music, you have a good dance, you enjoy yourself, you wake up in the morning and you feel like, OK, I can go again.”
Also appearing tomorrow are DJs Japan Taro and Yahman from Tokyo, both long-time participants in Japan’s lively reggae scene. The two have been making repeat visits to Taiwan in recent years for parties run by Islandjam, the name that Taili and Lion use for promoting their events.
The two are anxious to see Taiwan’s reggae scene grow, especially after a recent visit to Japan, where Black Reign did a weeklong run of shows. “There’s a reggae bar in every small town,” Lion noted.
Considering the parties Islandjam has held over the past several years, Taili and Lion have already established a firm footing for their goal. They now have an annual event for every season: a live band showcase in the spring, Reggae Beachfest in the summer and Caribbean Carnival in the fall.
With tomorrow’s edition of Firerama, Black Reign aims to show what it does best, said Taili. “The feeling of the party is the special thing we bring to it,” he said. “It’s not just we are just mixing ... we [create] the feeling, to make people crazy on the dance floor.”
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