‘Playing reggae is a way of life’

When 60 somethings and teenagers dance to the same tunes, you know the performers are extraordinary. Such was the scene at the concert organised by Cleartrip Local at Catholic Club where four time Grammy nominee ‘UB40’ enthralled the audience.

The legendary British reggae and pop band have not lost any of their charm from when they started out 38 years ago.
Robin Campbell and Brian Travers spoke to Rajitha Menon about music through the years.

How did the journey to stardom begin?

Robin: When ‘Steel Pulse’ had the very first reggae album at number one in the British charts in the late 1970s, we knew that there was commercial potential in the music. When we released our first album ‘Red Red Wine’ in 1980, it spent over 90 weeks in the top 50. We didnt know how big it would be internationally. It so turned out that our career in America hadnt really taken off until ‘Red Red Wine’ became a massive hit.

And how has the journey been over the years?

Robin:Over the years we saw a lot of highs and a few lows. Even today, people turn up in huge numbers to hear us play. Playing reggae is a way …read more