Katia Brollo

IRIE. How did you first get involved with Rototom Sunsplash?

KATIA BROLLO. I was a teenager when the Rototom Sunsplash festival moved to Osoppo (2000 inhabitants) in Italy, until 2010 before moving to Spain. Growing up in this small village, I was young, and reggae music and the values related to this gathering hit me hard. My friends and I used to listen to indie and alternative music. Some of my friends also played in a band or djing. The opportunity to live a seven-day festival from the inside of it was like a dream; everybody wanted to work in it.

IRIE. Do you remember your first year at Rototom Sunsplash? Was it smooth sailing for you?

KATIA BROLLO. I started collaborating with the festival as a cleaner as a summer job because I always felt I needed to be part of this movement and help it grow. I remember that at that time, I was fighting to keep the festival in my village. I felt it was an incredible opportunity to have different people from other countries come to an outlying area in the North of Italy, sharing the same values and allowing us to see a different kind of way of living that was not the status quo we were used to seeing. On the other hand, during the following years, I developed my skills in communication and languages, and my passion for creating networks related to this music in the different European countries where I moved in my 20s helped me make my dream come true.

IRIE. Can you share with us your role at Rototom Sunsplash? What are some
of your responsibilities?

KATIA BROLLO. In the past years, after developing the festival social Networks that I still manage and the media relations I curate, I started to travel the world to organize launch parties and build promotional links in the European and the world reggae scene. Before the pandemic, I traveled to the USA to promote the festival there, making links in New York, California, and Miami.

IRIE. What essential factors must be in place to ensure you put on the best Rototom Sunsplash?

KATIA BROLLO. First of all: Our team is like a big family, and even though we are different people, we all have a big passion in common: the love for the festival. This love is transferred to every person who enters the festival. We compare it to the artists’ vibes on stage with their fans.

On the other hand, we also have a significant objective every year: to provide the opportunity for the audience to feel at home. This feeling comes along with our attention to the services we offer and the festival visitor’s needs.

Putting up a small village on an empty lot is not easy, but the final result is a place where people can find all the facilities they need to enjoy the music, the daily activities, and their holiday near the beach.

IRIE. Do you have any highlights from past years of Rototom Sunsplash that are most memorable to you?

KATIA BROLLO. Every year is a highlight for me, but the Damian Marley big show with all the flags waving in front of the main stage were memorable. Also, I think what was Irie to me was the Midnight concert on the Rototom Mainstage. Of course, I always enjoy the big sound systems in our dub corner (24 boxes) and in our dancehall area, which is something not rarely seen in the US.

IRIE. For someone who’s never been to Rototom Sunsplash and experienced seven perfect days of reggae music, what can they expect from this year’s event? And are there any surprises this year at Rototom Sunsplash?

KATIA BROLLO. The big surprise this year is the exclusive return of Burning Spear to the stage, along with performances by Damian and Julian Marley, Sean Paul, and Davido.

Newcomers to Rototom Sunsplash will discover our collateral activities: ‘We must change the world” is the axis around which the different activities that make up our program that goes far beyond music will take shape.

All these questions and the channels to answer them and to be able to “change the world” will be articulated in the different cultural areas that sustain the activity in the Benicàssim concert venue, such as; The Social Forum, which will soon announce this year’s program. Also, The spaces for families, such as Magicomundo, are already finalizing the announcement of its many new features for 2022.

It will also be reflected in the festival’s sustainability policy, one of the first in Spain to have the ‘plastic free’ seal by eliminating the use of plastic both on the site and in the camping area; or in its usual social commitment actions, which also this year continue to grow and diversify into new areas, such as food sovereignty.

IRIE. Rototom Sunsplash is one of the few festivals featuring true roots reggae artists from Jamaica and Africa. That’s why we love Rototom Sunsplash. So, how important is it to provide that vital platform for roots reggae artists worldwide?

KATIA BROLLO. Reggae was born in Jamaica. So we must be thankful to this country and the large number of great artists who since the 50s, have spread their music and culture all over the world. The heritage they left us is an immense treasure, and we aim to keep promoting the origins and the great teachers of this genre on stage and by inviting them to our Reggae University. The same treat we offer to the young generation of reggae artists.

On the other hand, we are also aware of the African music heritage, and in the past years, we also started to open our line up to Afrobeat icons like Davido, who will be coming to the festival this year.

IRIE. Is there anything you would like to share with our IRIE audience?

KATIA BROLLO. I want to take the time to big up all the Irie audience. I would also like to invite them to plan a trip to our “Caribbean on the Mediterranean Coast.” They will enjoy one week of real reggae vibes and many daily activities that can make their holidays in Spain challenging to find in other parts of this concrete jungle we live in.

IRIE. Maaad Love & Respect, Katia Brollo! See you in August!

From Benicàssim to the world: Rototom Sunsplash gets its roar back! The exclusive return to the stage of Burning Spear will be one of the edition’s highlights, joined by Damian and Julian Marley, Sean Paul, Davido, and tributes to Toots and Robbie Shakespeare.