THOSE born after Independence can sing along but those who were born at turn of the millennium will simply watch as UB40 takes music fans down memory lane.
JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA
Dubbed a must-attend concert, the popular English reggae and pop band’s show is billed to perform in Zimbabwe on 25 May 2023.
According to flyers doing the rounds on social media, the Harare concert coincides with the Africa Day celebrations.
Known for easy skanking reggae vibes, UB40 command a huge following in and outside Zimbabwe.
Formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England, UB40 has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has international success.
According to information online. UB40 have been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album four times, and in 1984 were nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Group.
UB40 have sold over 70 million records worldwide. The ethnic make-up of the band’s original line-up was diverse, with musicians of English, Welsh, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish and Yemeni parentage.
Their hit singles include their debut Food for Thought and two Billboard Hot 100 number ones with Red Red Wine and Can’t Help Falling in Love.
Both of these also topped the UK Singles Chart, as did the band’s version of I Got You Babe, recorded with Chrissie Hynde.
Their two most successful albums, Labour of Love (1983) and Promises and Lies (1993), reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.
The band’s line-up was stable for nearly 29 years, from March 1979 until January 2008, when frontman Ali Campbell left the band, followed shortly thereafter by keyboardist Mickey Virtue.
Another member, Astro, remained with the band until November 2013, when he departed the original band to team up with Campbell and Virtue in a new version of UB40.
In 2014, legal advice was sought by the original band (now consisting of remaining co-founding members drummer Jimmy Brown, guitarist Robin Campbell, bassist Earl Falconer, percussionist Norman Hassan, and saxophonist Brian Travers, along with new vocalist Duncan Campbell) who took action against the group containing Campbell, Virtue, and Astro over usage of the band name, due to it being used by both parties.
Walter Wanyannya, who is one of the organisers, confirmed that tickets were selling like hot cakes.
Slated for Old Hararians Sports Club, tickets are going for US$60 per head and the show starts at 6pm.
