While the nation's first major reggae festival was being celebrated in Cork this weekend, credence was lent to the theory about a certain something in the sun-drenched rhythms of the Caribbean triggering a seasonal shift in the mind. For as the basslines boomed on Oliver Plunkett Street, and as the native youth essayed snake-hipped loops down the Grand Parade, it suddenly felt like summer.
The Guinness Roots and Reggae Festival packed 30-odd acts from the UK and beyond. Sinewy rhymes and supple melodies whispered on the nighttime air courtesy of such exotically-monikered blow-ins as Levi Roots, Festus, Mafia & Fluxy and the Armageddon Sound System.
But there was a strong Corkonian contingent too, with a smattering of locals helping to doctor the vibes and flavour the sonic stew. Strange as it may seem, Eyeball & Goat, the Jah Love Sound System, The Bellyman and 2nd Nature Of Dub all hail from the diocese of Cork and Ross. 'Nuff respect to the pale-faced Rastafari.
Their presence gave weight to a belief that has long been held in the Principality. There are Leesiders who will insist that the infusion of the Gulf Stream from the West Indies, coupled with the trade winds from North Africa, gives the city a passion for the tropical and a feel for the lanquid. But this could be just hot air.
Nevertheless, the luxuriantly-dreadlocked Neil Perch sure found his surroundings to be simpatico. A DJ with the London-based Zion Train Sound System, he is a frequent visitor to these parts.
"Cork is always a really mellow place to come to," he said, skulling a Big Pint as his crew rocked 'em to the rafters in An Crannsg late on Saturday.