2011 One Love Reggae Festival

A Truthful Dishonor Not about the Reggae

Looking at the future with a smile! Indeed, life is filled with so many struggles so to smile is one of the only options we have as to not go totally insane. The UK 2011 One Love Reggae Festival was held in the location of Hainault Forest County Park, an area in the London Borough of Redbridge in Northeast London. For us this was an event never to be forgotten… not because of the lineup of featuring reggae artists. This date will not so easily escape our brain because it’s a date of great and immense pain financially, emotionally and professionally. On the 19th of August 2011 around 9:15 to 9:45 therein, an insane being, someone with sticky fingers decided to take our belongings.

Financially: our computer knapsack/Incase Nylon Backpack value at £89.95, with our new Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro valued at £3,685.00 - Specifications: Processor 2.3GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Memory 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB, Display MacBook Pro 17-inch Hi-Resolution Antiglare Widescreen Display, Keyboard and Documentation Backlit Keyboard (US) & User’s Guide (English) SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW). It was still under the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Also in the bag, an audio-visual multimedia projector cable, valued at £51.00, as well as an Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter valued at £21.00. Stolen too were: our Apple wireless keyboard value of £57.00, also an Apple Battery Charger value of £25.00. A Kensington Si600 wireless presenter with laser pointer valued at £21.40, a stack of our business cards, likewise our hand-written notebook with research notes: priceless, and our USA passport.  Also inside of our bag were two Harmonicas, one a Hohner Blues Harp C Harmonica value £29 and a small Echo Double Sided Tremolo value £60. Beside, the value of our US passport and our handwritten research notes. The above mention items in total value: is £89.95 + £3,685.00 + £51.00 + £21.00 + £57.00 + £25.00 + £21.40 + £29 + £60 which is equated to the sum of £4,039.35… excluded VAT.  Also on this date we had put £50.01 of petrol for transportation cost driving to this festival for our gig. So far all we have lost in the effort of creative sharing are now without any financial compensation.

Emotionally: for this event on our poetry reading, looking back seeing the warning signs we wonder had we broken our contract of agreement to be on stage on the 19th of August at 20:30-21-30, we wondered…what the resulting situation would be? In our heart and in the fibers of our being, we know, we would have been deemed a horrible artist as well as stricken with being blacklisted from future events. However, due to the factor that our word is our bond, and we gave our word to Mel X (Mel Ruben), the 2011 One Love reggae festival event coordinator that we would be there, we would not break our word on commitment to share. So we even came extra early, several hours early in preparation for this event.

After receiving our allocated entrance pass around 17:00, we found our way to the Soul Rebel Stage. Once at the Soul Rebel stage, we introduced our self and then asked about the connection of our wireless microphone. Unfortunately the DJ was unable to meet that request, for the sound system mic connection was not working correctly. We even suggested using one of the other microphones we had brought with us. Unfortunately, even after sharing them, the mic connection for the sound system was still not working properly. The DJ stated not to worry, he’ll contact the sound engineer and by the time of our showcasing it should be fine. So we left it at that and continue to set up for our production. We also left an hour and half before our schedule time to walk around, take in the sights of the festival likewise introduced our self to the patrons we met while giving them our business card as a featuring poet to-be-on the Soul Rebel Stage.

By 8pm we was dressed and back at the Soul Rebel stage. This time the sound engineer was on the stage, we asked about the microphone connection, whether it had been fixed? The engineer stated it was working when he left. We again asked about hooking up of our wireless mic, after several attempts by the sound engineer, he too was unsuccessful in making our wireless microphone worked with the sound system. Of the three mics we brought, only our hand held Sennheiser microphone worked with efficiency to our vocal. With three minutes before our allowed program time of our reading we was on the stage, and we was ready. Still there were not so much people in front of our stage because the main stage program overlapped with the Soul Rebel stage performance, still we continue being happy and smiling, whether the audience is one or ten-thousands and one, the truth is the show must goes on.

So as we continue… we introduce our self to the 6 people standing in front of the soul rebel stage, they were waiting to see what our act was about. Suddenly the left side of the sound system went out, the sound engineer did not like the acoustic reading or placement of the left speakers, so it was decided while we was about to start reading a poem the left speakers had to be broken down and moved in a better spot. With all these dilemmas… still we smiled and stayed happy. Over 20 minutes later, the natural light started to fade… it was getting dark, so we moved the reading stand and the stool closer to the edge of the stage, however as we reached for the microphone, the new dilemma was the microphone cord was too short. The only thing to do is keep smiling and wait.

By the time the sound engineer brought an extension for the mic, it was already dark. At the back of the Soul Rebel stage, there were some oversize light for this small stage, when asked to turn it on the reply was, its broken. Some more time passed then the light technician came, we asked have you come to fix the light, his reply, it was never broken, he further stated, after setting up the light, his request on showing the operation protocol of the light was met with disinterest, no one wanted to know how to turn it on, it was then we asked to show us how the lighting system worked, it took less than a minute to learn from the light technician on how to turn it on, fade out and brighten the stage. With the light and microphone now working, we continue with our poetry. After reading few of our poems and eight minutes before 21:30pm, the DJ & the sound engineer return to the stage while we’re communicating to patrons about our poetry the DJ started playing music.

In reaction… our question now was what time is it? Surprisingly without an answer to the question, the DJ replied with this question. “Oh “I” thought you were done?” We then stated jokingly, when you ready to kick us off the stage just give us a tap on the shoulder and we will move along willingly. We also stated from the time mentioned by a patron listening to our poetry that the time was 9:22pm, and we have 8 minutes left to our stage time. We also made a reminder that we had and hour as well as we started late not by our design. After reading one more poem we bid our farewell to the few audiences listening to our words. The next group, a small gather of female erotic/acrobatic dancers were about to take the Soul Rebel stage, it was at this moment we started to gather our belongings. With the help of the PA, Mel X (Mel Ruben) provided for the Soul Rebel Stage area, we thought everything we had were placed in storage. Imagine the shock! As we reached home/Maidstone Kent between 3.30 am to 3.45, unpacked our Mini Van and found our computer bag not in the mix.

It was now saturday morning and we were extremely tired, nonetheless, the only options now was to drive all the way back to Hainault Forest County Park, One Love festival. By the time we got back, mostly every one was sleeping except for few security personnel. At their main station point for the security, we reported our stolen items to the Security guard after check over the soul rebel stage area. The security guard took our details and suggested we wait till everyone is awake to make a check around compound as to whether we might spot someone with our belongings. Later that morning on the 20th of August 2011 we also reported the incident to Mel X (Mel Ruben) after our introduction, she also looked tired and her voice was similar to ours… stressed from the hard work. She was shocked and saddens by our lost; hence she started calling/texting others to report back on the matter. Four times we walked around the camping sites and the festival grounds but to no luck did we saw our belongings, the criminal was well hidden.

Professionally: We noticed for this reggae event there were no standard UK polices. The security system was a private company. With the recent incident of the riots throughout the UK, we thought it would be best to report this matter to the police when we reached home.  Being black and always being stopped by the police due to descriptions of ignorance, we thought it would be prudent not get the police involved just yet. Reggae events normally include substance of which the police are paid to take away and detain individuals, thus we decided not extent the conflict just yet, we truly did not want to be the one to cause a show of UK police force in what should have been a reggae “loving” zone. Also professionally, with the lost of our belongings we are unable to further our creative endeavors at this time, our lectures and our writings. Recently, we were engaged in the post-production of our next poetry publication, which is titled Ankh Chi Tao and is a collection of 156 poems. Most of that work is now gone… stolen.

Being a competent and international poet, we have to say this lost is a severe blow to our creativity. Despite that we are not in the ground yet, living with disability due to a car accident, we have managed to accomplish and release many fine aspects of the Arts. We will continue to do so and regardless of these set backs. For the term give up is not in our vocabulary nor one we subscribe to. Our goal: obtain our Doctorate of

Philosophy/PH.d in Art Education and use our grant network to create our own literary music festival. Yes indeed… the 2011 One Love Reggae Festival was a learning experience. One that we will never soon forget, and as for the aspiring individuals we met at this event, we say thanks, Ashia:-Hotep:-Muri for your support, your encouragement as well as your kind words of upliftment. Maybe one day we shall meet again to share poetic conversations of deep thoughts about our social living in humanity.

Sincerely written by Prof. NkwNgr A.K.A, Artist@Large AnkSteady, Ank Justice SteadySpear

web site: http://www.dankunlimited.com

email http://www.dankunlimited.com, anksteady@dankunlimited.com

Mobile: 07948986317, Skype: Datmon

Kent police reference/Incident Number: 20-1561

Met Police reference/Incident Number: CAD8269