With a life-affirming set from ska pioneers the Skatalites at its climax, yesterday's free Rise festival spread good vibes all over Finsbury Park as an inventively chosen line-up played to a gloriously mixed crowd, who kept on smiling throughout some horribly mixed weather.

Early highlights included Saint Etienne, whose performance, featuring three keyboard players, contained a surprisingly touching version of He's On The Phone.

Gallery: Rise Festival in pictures

Jamelia performed well, but was unlucky to have her slot coincide with a torrential downpour.

Kelis, clad in a glamorous floral suit offering a view of her legs that the crowd clearly appreciated, kicked off her set with Millionaire, but made the bold decision to continue with some of her more off-beat, rock-ier work.

The highlight of her set was not Milkshake, as might have been expected, but a sizzling rendition of the reggae-powered hit, Trick Me, which saw the singer plunge into the crowd to receive their love in person.

African, Indian and Cuban music were represented in their own areas, but the biggest single genre at the event was probably reggae.

As they did last year, the Trojan Sound System took over the top deck of an open-topped bus to delight the crowds below with their combination of old-school reggae records and cutting-edge live vocalists. Jazzy B of Soul II Soul took over next, kicking his set off with a booty-shaking reggae remix of Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing.

Back on the main stage, much-vaunted human beatbox Beardyman chuckled: "I hope you've purged your minds of any racist thoughts," before launching into a routine that had the crowd screaming.

Organised by London Mayor Ken Livingstone and supported by various trade unions, Rise claims to be the natural successor to the Rock Against Racism movement which galvanised opposition to the National Front in the Seventies and Eighties.

With that in mind, the many words against the BNP from yesterday's artists and comperes were laudable and appropriate. I suspect I wasn't alone, however, in feeling that this opposition to hatred and intolerance should have included some condemnation of the Islamist fanatics currently intent on blowing up Britons of all races.

Beardyman ended his set with an extraordinary drum and bass version of Barrington Levy's reggae classic, Under Mi Sensi, to wild approval from the Jamaican contingent.

Finally, the Skatalites took to the stage, delivering a barrel-load of note-perfect upbeat ska, including Lucky Seven and their unique take on the Bond theme.

There's no doubt about it - this well run event brought Londoners of varying backgrounds together more effectively than a speech ever could.