Emergenza is "the world's largest festival for unsigned bands, with concerts in more than 150 cities around the world." It features "up and coming bands from across the globe."
There are elimination rounds in different countries throughout the year, whereby the bands that advance are selected by the audiences that hear them. Professional judges choose the winners at regional and final concerts.
The first Emergenza Festival emerged in 1992, when a group of musician friends staged the first event in Rome, Italy, before an audience of 245. Five months later, the attendance had grown to three thousand, and in that year the festival's first compilation album was made. From 1993 to 2003 Emergenza recorded 54 such albums, both live and in studio. In 1995 the Emergenza logo was created.
On January 7, 1996, the Gibus Club in Paris hosted the first Emergenza concert outside Italy. One hundred thirteen bands signed up. The following year 2,500 people attended the first Emergenza European Final at the London Astoria in the United Kingdom.
[Chorus:]
Emergency, we a suffer roun ere
Roun ere, man a ded, tings tougher roun ere
Crime scene gone up, tall up man ah go fa roun ere
Missa man, whe yu doing fi the gutter roun ere?
[Verse 1:]
Two party, but ah de same sad song dem a play
Poor people money lean back and rockaway
Dem raise everyting from oil to Craven A
So how dem no raise up everybody pay
Portmore mi born and ah de so mi yard stay
So mi nah pay no toll fi cross the Causeway
Mr. Bruce, Mr. PJ
This is just a couple question from Addi the deejay
[Question:] Kingston mek no AK?
[Question:] How gun come inna JA?
Who own the wharf and the airport, the docks and the bay?
[CHORUS]
[VERSE 2:]
Everyting except ded people ah raise
De dead man ah 'sehe' him betta off inna the grave
How we fi save pon minimum wage
When two yute go high school, two go all age?
Dem change dem face like Nicholas Cage
True election ah come, dem temporary re-arrange
Mi rate Bruce, mi rate PJ
But dem waan we ded off like dog weh have mange
Mi born a sufferer, when it ah go change?
Mi love Portia Simpson, mi love Babsy Grange
But if dem nuh tun a new page
We nah wear no red or no green again
We ah wear beige
Fi de yute dem a de stoplight, mi a beg oonu a change
Oonu dog a live betta dan dem, oonu outrage
Yu know how much innocent yute dem a hundred man inna de cage