MUMBAI: Goa Sunsplash, an international reggae festival held in Anjuna, North Goa, has announced the line-up for its second edition in January 2017. The festival is to be headlined by some heavyweights in the global reggae scene including UK dub producer Zion Train, digital reggae specialist Manudigital from France, veteran British MC Brother Culture and the reggae/ dancehall singer Cali P, direct from Jamaica.

Featured artists will be Zion Train, Brother Culture, Cali P, Manudigital, Naaman, Vibronics, Reggae Rajahs, Delhi Sultanate and Begum X, Dew Drops, Ti Rat, Kavin, Riddim Funktion, Syncroshakti and much more.

Zorawar Shukla, who is the co-founder of New Delhi based group, Reggae Rajahs and a co-founder of Goa Sunsplash says, “Reggae as a genre encompasses many different sounds and this year’s line-up features dub, roots reggae, dancehall, ska and even a little bit of electronic bass music. There are singers, DJ’s and musicians from all around the world – Reunion Island to Bulgaria to Dubai, our line-up is truly global.

Though relatively small in India, the reggae scene is gaining momentum with a steady rise in local acts. “This year, apart from Indian reggae stalwarts like Reggae Rajahs and Delhi Sultanate, we are proud to showcase some of India’s youngest reggae talent like Dew Drops from Shillong, Kavin from Chennai, Riddim Funktion from Pune and Syncroshakti from Bangalore,” said Shukla.

The second edition of Goa Sunsplash sees the return of the handcrafted 10,000 Lions Sound System that powered the festival last year. However, this time around bands will also feature for the first time. “We never thought that one day we’d be playing at a reggae festival in India, we’re looking forward to making some fans in India,” said singer Ti Rat who will be performing with his band Rouge Reggae.

‘Goa Sunsplash’ will have three different music areas, live art spaces, food stands from some of Goa's best eateries and also some carefully selected stalls selling arts and crafts.