Busy Signal Explains Why He Skips Reggae Sumfest

Turf President Busy Signal has revealed his reasons for no longer performing at Reggae Sumfest, despite multiple invitations to do so by Downsound CEO Joe Bogdanovich.

In an interview with Television Jamaica’s The Entertainment Report, Busy Signal expressed concerns about how Jamaican artists are treated at the festival, listing issues such as poor stage management and a perceived lack of respect from some of the event’s organizing team.

“Personally, I don’t think Reggae Sumfest and the whole staff know how to treat an artist, and when I say an artist, I’m talking local artists,” Busy Signal said.

“I’ve been approached by Joe Bogdanovich many times, you know, in terms of doing Sumfest; I guess his staff and the people who claim they know stuff—it’s just garbage. Big garbage,” he stated.

According to the Watch Out Fi Dis (Bumaye) singer, he believes there is a stark difference in the treatment of Jamaican and foreign artists, a disparity he finds troubling since, in his view, no overseas act has ever come out on top at any Reggae show held in Jamaica.

“They don’t appreciate us as local artists. I’ve seen the treatment that international artists get, you know. Name one Sumfest or even before, me born or when I was a little toddler—name one Sunsplash that an international artist outdo a local artist. There’s none!” the Forensic deejay declared.

When asked to provide specifics about his grievances, Busy Signal recounted an experience from his last performance at the event in 2016, where he felt the stage and time management were poorly handled.

“One specific time was the last time I did Sumfest—I don’t remember the year, but I had a contract for an hour set. And, on the stage I think I was 17 minutes into my performance, some guy was on the side of the stage showing me a time like ‘hey.’ Every time I look to the side, I see someone hitting the time. And saying, you know, they got to rush me off to put a different artist on,” he explained, illustrating the action by tapping his watch.

“Or sometimes it’s push back, so it’s unprofessional,” he continued.

Busy Signal (Photo contributed: DAMEON GAYLE)

In that Reggae Sumfest 2016 incident, Busy Signal had been belting out his hits when he suddenly started to tell off an individual, apparently the stage manager or timekeeper.

“Hol on deh hol on deh. Every year oonu do dis… Don’t show mi no watch. Don’t tell mi bout nuh time! Performance! An di people dem love wha a gwaan. Hey you, yuh si if coprporate Jamaica neva like mi, mi deal wid yuh wicked! Mi have too much fi lose!” Busy had said to the man at that point.

Towards the end of his performance, he launched another broadside at the timekeepers.

“A want oonu put up all d lighters, because oonu ova deh suh weh a tell people bout time every minute, watch oonuself… a long time wi nuh perform. A di first time mi a perform Reggae night aka international night. Don’t try fi spoil di night!” he had ordered.

“An yuh know Jamaica have every claat inna di world. Mi waan si every lighta, every phone, every drone… Sumfest a our Sumfest dis! Some bwoy a gwaan like dem waan stop ghetto yute. Yuh know how far it tek wi fi reach yah suh: jailhouse, rumours. A Busy dis, nobaddy caan stop mi!” he declared before belting out the first line from his hit song Jamaica Love: “Wi love Jamaica an wi naw sell out” and then tossing the microphone in the air and striding offstage.

During the TVJ intrerview, Busy, in criticizing the festival’s professionalism, said he has experienced much higher standards at overseas Reggae events, particularly in Europe.

“I’m used to professionalism worldwide, you know. I’m just coming from the Summer Jam in Germany; now I’m lining up to go to the Rototom Splash and the Reggae Jam and the Uppsala Festival. These are bigger festivals than Sumfest, way bigger, and the professionalism is surreal,” he said.