Ali Campbell and the whole UB40 story, how does it hit? I think the real question is, rather would actually be, does he still have it? Well, whether he is part of the UB40 original band or not, what I can assure you is that he’s got even more vibe than before and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell are such idiosyncratic talents! Just as they showcased it in Uganda on Saturday at Kololo Independence grounds, ohm… boy nailed it!
You all, might not believe it but look, the reason we are calling it ‘peculiar’ is very simple, reggae enthusiasts always love it loud and clear and complicated but no, Ali this time round, didn’t exactly make it louder than expected though the band’s instruments can do better than that but I think it was just as he wanted it. UB40 ft. Ali Campbell band can be as sonorous as other bands but they just decided to go raw, old classic, mellow, heavy and above all, gentle!
To explain it in simple terms, it wasn’t all that smoke-weed-only music show you all think reggae shows ought to be but it was a reggae concert soo relaxed, soothing, calm and spiritual and clearly portrayed the ‘music asserts a social stance’ aspect all night long as reggae lovers used it to meditate and feel for their life’s (soul) worth! And also, something our writer witnessed is that Kololo wasn’t a landfill that evening, it was a venue full of mature minds and big names, talk of the like of Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Uganda Hon. Thomas Tayebwa and Minister Okello Oryem among others and they had a great time.
So, whether it was teelian or uillam, the fact remains that the attendees enjoyed the show fully and that’s what they had gone for. For the reggae diehards, March 2 would be the best day or even the best night ever to have introduced a reggae brunch in Kampala, bottomless for that matter! It’s actually needless to point out that ‘No Body Can Stop Reggae Concert 2024’ starring Ali Campbell, left a lasting impression on Ugandan music enthusiasts as the band delivered an all-amazing performance.
A delve into the show
The UB40 ft. Ali Campbell concert started off with DJ mixes from Bugy who did justice to reggae music not only by UB40 but from other reggae artists world over. Bugy did his time and by 7PM, it was all up to DJ Naselow to do his thing, which he did not waste any chance on reaching the stage, Naselow did quite well but somehow went beyond the lane as he started playing off reggae.
Even at that, the attendees didn’t take it in bad faith but all they wanted that evening and night was anything reggae. The show later on saw performances from local singers including Swangz Avenue’s Elijah Kitaka, Vinka, Vampino, Weasel, Navio, The Myth and Bebe Cool among others, who all did their best and showcased their energetic performances. There was a minimal sound hitch when singer Vampino was doing his time but all that was rectified and all was good to go for the rest of the performers.
Our writer could hear some reggae enthusiasts whose spirits were at war, complain on whether the local line up was the best match to the order of the day (Reggae) including Elijah Kitaka but hey look, they were shut down by rapper Navio’s show-stopping performance when he brought hip-hop live in a reggae show, he real nailed it!
And then boom, the long awaited band UB40 ft. Ali Campbell surfaced on stage and off to business, they opened their performance with ‘The Way You Do the Things You Do’ hit, they would later go ahead to do ‘One in Ten,’ ‘Stick by me,’ and ‘Please don’t make me cry’ that lifted the attendee’s spirits high and with love up in the air.
‘Cherry Oh Baby’ lit the venue and energized revelers and ‘Red Wine,’ a track off the ‘Labour of Love’ album released way back in 1983 but sounded like it was just produced the previous day, was actually the crowds’ favorite, as they were seen dancing to the rhythms and singing along to the lyrics word for word. They would later on take a break at 11:18 pm and ensured to come back more energized and did a lot more tracks before they could close their performance with their ‘Can’t help falling in love’ hit leaving the overly excited attendees yarning for more of their extraordinary performance.
For those of you who love dreaming only lies but wait, look! Why would someone dream about lies? Well, UB40’s ‘Red Wine’ and ‘Dream a lie’ tracks were both produced the same year but under different albums; Labour of Love and Labour of Love II.
One thing the writer noticed and not like other bands, UB40 ft. Ali Campbell’s performance on stage doesn’t call for any sophistication of any kind, be it dance moves or whatsoever!
Their catalogue of both classic and new songs had the crowd singing along and dancing to the infectious reggae songs and of course slowly and not with any rush or speed applied to it. Talk less of the main man of the day Ali Campbell, his voice is one in a million, still intact and to the point, he’s still got his voice, soo mellifluous and clear and not even old age can stop him, he controlled the crowd right at the palm of his hands and kept them on his side most of the time he was on stage, singing to the incredible hits. His performance is unmatched!
Amidst controversies leading to the most long awaited concert, it finally unfolded with success at Kololo and a big credit goes to Talent Africa Group, NBS and partners that worked tirelessly to ensure the concert came to pass.
The ‘No Body Can Stop Reggae Concert 2024’ will be remembered as a night of pure musical bliss, where local talent and international stars come together to celebrate the universal language of reggae and as well as pour the message of love and unity to humanity.
For sure, if I had the audacity to juxtapoze it with any other band, then, I know, I wouldn’t even risk it because Ali Campbell’s UB40 faction is the best, actually, call it the World’s top Reggae band alive! Again, I wouldn’t want to assume things but I have a feeling the just concluded UB40 ft. Ali Campbell in Uganda would be considered the best reggae show-ever. And whether it was Sizzla, Baby Lawd, or even Shabba, watching it, they would appreciate the concert and say, “well-done Ali.”
UB40 ft. Ali Campbell band revealed to Kampala Sqoop’s Emuk Benjamen that after Uganda, their next International shows will include; Thursday April 4, at Dublin 3 Arena in Ireland, Saturday April 6 at Liverpool GB, M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, Sunday April 7 at Glasgow, SEC Armadillo. “We have also confirmed shows at Milton Keynes GB, The National Bowl for the Reggae Land show 2024 and at Bridlington GB, Bridlington Spa Centre in August 3 and September 16 respectively.”
