Opening night at the 42nd Zelt-Musik-Festival (ZMF) in Freiburg delivered a rare treat. While ZMF is typically celebrated for its mix of jazz, world, and classical crossover acts, kicking off the festival with pure roots-reggae royalty was an unexpected—and inspired—choice.

A Fragile Icon with an Unstoppable Spirit
There is no sugarcoating it: age has caught up with Mr. Spear. Walking onto the stage, he appeared fragile. Yet the moment the music took over, any physical vulnerability vanished into an overflowing, transcendent spirit. Watching him step up to the percussion was nothing short of inspiring. He wasn't just taking occasional fills—he hit those congas with passion, returning to them on nearly every single track.

"It was a masterclass in how presence and spirit can completely redefine a live performance."

The crowd inside the circus tent was surprisingly moderate at first, almost as if people were waiting for explicit permission to get hyped up and loud. Fortunately, Spear's band was more than ready to bridge that gap.

The backing musicians delivered a tight, wholesome performance:
The Horn Section: Impeccably sharp throughout the night, with each horn player getting a dedicated one-minute solo to shine.
Lead Guitar: Positioned on the far side of the stage, the lead guitarist did the heavy lifting to amp up the energy, feeding spark after spark into the audience until the tent finally caught the rhythm.

My only slight disappointment? The set list skipped over "Christopher Columbus", a classic and my personal favourite.
Ultimately, though, it was a beautiful thing to witness in times like these. The night brought Rastas, non-Rastas, and ex-Rastas together under one roof to catch a fire—a gentle legend backed by a powerhouse band, making for a memorable start to ZMF.