While Montrealers are still battling the harsh cold winter, here is something exciting and new to help them warm up and look forward to the summer: Montreal’s first International Reggae Festival will be coming to the Old Port June 4, 5 and 6.
Although Montreal is known for its variety of festivals, Cezar Brumeanu who is the executive director and producer of the festival hopes that it will become the most anticipated event for years to come.
Brumeanu, 26, is a student at Concordia studying political science when time allows but currently he is getting geared up for his biggest production ever.
He has ten years experience organizing music events and shows, including stage concerts, tours in high schools with local upcoming artists, CD launches for local artists, Open Mic competitions, local hall parties and weddings.
He has been involved in basketball tournaments, co-founded and organized basketball teams that won championships and has helped in co-ordinating several conventions and trade-shows. With all this experience under his belt, it was time for him to try something challenging and start making his dreams a reality.
“This International Reggae Festival was something that has been long awaited in Montreal, if not Canada. I always want to do a bigger show than the last one I did … so here is where I am now,” Brumeanu states.
He had worked at his last job as a special project consultant but when he got the idea to do this festival, he couldn’t resist. “I left Medisca in June 2003, because I’ve been organizing events and shows since I was 15 years old, and now it’s finally my time to do it full-time.”
An obvious choice
But where did this idea come from and how was the opportunity presented to him? It seems that he just decided to take it on himself and went in search of ways to make this project happen. It wasn’t difficult to pick his theme. Reggae was an obvious choice to him. “I am a big Reggae fan … so I figured, why not a Reggae festival?”
Searching for funds to aid in the creation of this festival was harder work, but the results were satisfying.
Brumeanu recalls how he went around asking investors for financial help. Some agreed to lend the money, others directed him towards bank loans and sponsors, and others said they would only invest in the second year of the festival.
Now that the festival is officially set for this summer, Brumeanu only has to watch what happens. Organizing something as grandiose as this can only mean great things for him and the city of Montreal.
The festival is expected to draw crowds from around the world, and when it finally proves itself, there will be other things for the young producer to tackle. “After this festival is set to run on “auto-pilot,” I will begin working on something even bigger,” he says.
His goal for this festival is to make it as popular as any major show that has ever taken place around the globe. “I want to break the record for the largest Reggae Festival attendance in the world … so far I think we can expect 25,000 people … and then the largest concert is about 125,000 people so my goal is to beat those also, sooner than later,” Brumeanu reveals. So far, the number of people attending this year’s festival is expected to be about 20,000.
Getting an audience to attend any show also has its challenges, but with this festival, all that is needed are people who love Reggae music – that means any age group and gender.
Brumeanu says if you are a person who likes to go back to Reggae’s roots and culture, this is the right festival to be at. “We also have the two after-parties planned for the dance hall crowd at a downtown venue, yet to be confirmed.”
Popular headliners
According to Brumeanu, there will be 30-40 entertainers, not including the 18 headliners who will hit the stage.
With names like Luciano, Buju Banton, Beres Hammond, Culture, Half-Pint and with guest appearances by Mikey Dread and Morgan Heritage, it seems impossible to say that the show will be a drag.
There are even more artists Brumeanu is waiting to hear from. “We are still waiting for confirmations from Coco Tea … the rest of the groups are from Montreal and various other countries across the globe,” he remarks. For the after-parties, Ce’Cile and T.O.K. will be performing Friday night, while Tanto Metro and Devonte have been reserved for Saturday evening.
A show with this many performers cannot be shy of staff and security. There will be at least 200 paid staff members who will make sure the festival lives up to its name.
As for performers from Montreal who want to be a part of the show, Brumeanu says that there are no auditions being held at Concordia or anywhere else.
“All they would have to do is download the application form from the web site www.montrealreggaefestival.com and mail it with their press-kit and CD and the festival will get back to them after March 15, which is the deadline.”
Then, there is the reason Brumeanu chose Reggae in Montreal. “Reggae in Montreal seems like the right place to start because Reggae music is everybody’s music and what better city than the very multi-cultural city of Montreal to start in!”
Sponsorship
It seems like everyone agrees that a Reggae festival is needed to spice up the summers in Montreal, since there are several sponsors that are interested in supporting the event.
But as Brumeanu says, “There is no official sponsor yet, most of the media outlets are giving us a 50 to 75 per cent off advertising through radio, newspapers, web sites, TV and so on. The rest comes from bank loans.”
In the end, this festival looks promising and beneficial to more than just the people involved with it. Brumeanu says the corporation is a provincial non-profit one and that some of the festival profits will go to the Montreal’s Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The future of this festival will depend on how well it goes in its first year and then long-term goals can be focused on.
For now, Brumeanu can only think of the near future, such as the location of the festival if they get more people than they hoped for.
“Depending on the number of people that attend this year, we might need another pier at the Old Port or move to Parc Jean-Drapeau if it gets too big too fast,” he admits.
Long-term goals have been thought of, but Brumeanu confesses, “I don’t want to jinx them if I tell you now.”
If you would like more information concerning the festival, the web site has answers for everything you might want to know about the performers, the team behind the festival, schedules, souvenirs, purchasing of tickets and contact information.
“We have some catching up to do with the United States,” says Brumeanu.
“But if all the cities and we as a country work together, I believe we can do it in no time!”
