Inner Circle marches on
AT 48, Inner Circle is the oldest reggae band on tour. And according to bassist/founding member Ian Lewis, they have never been more popular.
He told the Jamaica Observer that over one million people have seen their ‘One Love Reggae Revolution Tour’ which kicked off July 13 in Berlin, Germany.
Lewis credits social media and collaborations with contemporary acts for Inner Circle’s endurance.
“The tour meant a lot to us because it solidified our relevance. We can just go out there and perform our new material ‘cause we have a lot of collaborations with the younger Jamaican stars like Chronixx and Kabaka Pyramid,” he said. “Through Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram we have gathered a new source of fans.”
Lewis’s older brother, and co-founder, Roger (guitar), keyboardist Mick Sterling, singer Trevor Bonnick, and drummer Lancelot Hall are the other members of Inner Circle which formed in 1968.
Inner Circle is one of the success stories of contemporary reggae. They had a successful run with singer Jacob Miller during the 1970’s, thanks to songs like Tired Fi Lick Weed In A Bush and Tenement Yard.
But after Miller’s death in a motor accident in 1980, they were in danger of falling into obscurity. That changed when two massive hit songs (Bad Boys and Sweat) in the early 1990’s gave them a second wind.
The Bad Boys album won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1994. The title song was featured on soundtracks to two hit movies of the same name.
This weekend, Inner Circle is back in its South Florida stomping ground. On Saturday, the group performs at Englewood Event Center in Englewood. Sunday sees them playing BCASCA Caribbean Jamboree in Palm Bay.
— By Howard Campbell
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