Fuelled by the Reggae Pop spirit that powered UB40’s original incarnation to worldwide success, the contemporary band fronted by founding member Ali Campbell is now coming to India. As the most authentic expression of the Birmingham band’s original aims, Ali continues to curate and build on a legacy that dates back four decades to the group’s formative days. Despite seeing their plans for 2020 thwarted by a global pandemic, they are now primed to make the most of the momentum that saw their last tour visit the world’s biggest venues with sold out shows and their 2018 album, A Real Labour Of Love, narrowly miss out on topping the UK charts. ‘For me, it’s all about advancing reggae,’ says Ali. ‘I love all kinds of music, but we’ve always promoted reggae. It’s a style that keeps on changing, too. It’s now being mixed with hip-hop, and its influence on dance music is huge. We’re blessed in that we still get a really mixed crowd. Teenagers might be into grime, rock and pop, but they still love reggae. We played at Boomtown Fair in August 2019 and the crowd we attracted was full of fans aged between 15 and 35. It must have been the youngest large gathering we’ve ever played to.’ Backed by a seven-piece band, UB40 with Ali have become a formidable touring outfit. The Real Labour Of Love tour in 2019 visited Australia, New Zealand, Europe and America and even stopped off for a show on Rarotonga, an island in the South Pacific.
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