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The maiden edition of Africa's biggest reggae festival ,Kuchoko Roots Festival, lived to its billing on Saturday when several thousands of authentic reggae music lovers were thrilled dry by some of Africa's top-charting artistes like Blakk Rasta, Ras Kimono, Majek Fashek, Hamed Faras,Ras Kuuku and Kwame Bediako.

The festival kicked off at 2pm with The Ethiopian World Federation Nyahbingi Warriors chanting and beating big Rasta drums to the delight of the patrons. Artiste  after artiste, the huge crowd kept rocking to good music, energetic performances and chants as Felix Jahno, Osagyefo, Ras Kuuku, Rymzo and Papa Wastik gave very good account of themselves including Hamed Faras who brought the house alive with his Franco-Mandingo reggae rhythms. The crowd yelled for more.

When Ras Kimono mounted the huge stage at 10pm,the crowd wondered what the big belly crooner was capable of but in no time he rocked the whole house down with an energetic performance which wowed everybody. His under pressure hit song was evergreen when he dropped it and caused the whole festival to tremble with energy. He was splendid on the night.

Blakk Rasta came up next carried on stage by overly 'irie' reggae fans ,having waiting too long to see their hero. They sang his Iyawata song which shouting and chanting slogans of the artistes. It took heavy security to restore sanity. Once Blakk Rasta touched the stage, the cheers never ceased. The fans were so incensed by the Salaga Soldier's performance that, a few of them tried to climb the 8 foot stage, some falling off with the few who made it on stage to be whisked off by security.

The dub poet allowed the teeming crowd to decide for him what songs they wanted to hear and he delivered just that to perfection with untold energy. The fans could never have enough of him. When Zantan Bua, the goat dance was released finally, the crowd went haywire with a few fans defying security and climbing the huge stage to dance. Ras Kimono joined Blakk Rasta on stage and they did a dance that brought down the house and shattered the foundations of the festival.

Majek Fashek, the rain maker could not bring rain to the festival. He looked too frail and staggered all night as if he was drunk but he dished out good music intermittently supported by his drummer on vocals as the legendary artiste lacked energy and verve on his very first showing in Ghana.

Kuchoko is the name coined by Blakk Rasta for Afrcan Reggae which he does now and it is a blend of Jamaican roots Reggae and African rhythms. MC's were Culture B, Countryman Songo, Conscious Queen of Pink Fm and Daddy Bosco.

Kuchoko Roots Festival was the biggest of all the events on the night in Accra and deserves to be seen again next year as Blakk Rasta promised.