International reggae icons UB40 took thousands on a trip down memory lane as they grooved to mega hits from the Birmingham-based band at Capella at the Festival Green, Camana Bay on Saturday night.
The event, now in its second year, turned into a karaoke session of sorts as attendees sang along to some of the group’s top hits, including the wildly popular ‘Red, Red Wine’ and ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’.
The band, which featured some new faces, including front man Matt Doyle (formerly of Kioko), offered a mix of music from their well known classics to offerings on their newest album.
They performed ‘Champion,’ the official song for the 2022 Commonwealth games, hosted last year in the band’s hometown.
Though the event was a success, it was not without hiccups.
The main stage concert kicked off late due to sound issues, leading to a domino effect of having to shorten performances of local artists.
Rimes, Kes gets crowd going
Cayman’s very own Rico Rolando started off the mainstage performances before country superstar LeAnn Rimes started her set.
Rimes, dressed in a daring beige crocheted dress, sang her popular hits ‘Blue’ and ‘How Do I Live’, much to the delight of the country lovers in the crowd, some of whom were dressed with boots and cowboy hats.
Local singer Dan Ebanks, formerly known as Danny Loops, welcomed the opportunity to share the stage with the globally known acts.
Ebanks delighted the crowd as he performed his own original music, and shared that he has an album in the works.
Ebanks took to the stage ahead of Jamaican sensation Koffee, who had the crowd going with her reggae hits. She teased the crowd disappearing off the stage at the end of her performance only to return and sing her super hit ‘Toast’.
Kes, the Trinidad-based soca band, set the stage on fire with an enthusiastic performance, setting the tone for the upcoming carnival festivities as Batabano, Bracannal and CayMAS loom on the horizon.
Local DJs Super C and Sound Revolution kept the crowd hyped as the performers got ready for their appearance with their bands.
UB40 on ‘falling in love’ with Cayman
The now 10-member band, speaking at a media conference on Friday afternoon at Ironshore Studios, George Town, ahead of the concert, welcomed the opportunity to play in the Cayman Islands – a first for them.
“We don’t get nervous about performing in new places. We love finding new places to play,” said Robin Campbell, one of the four remaining founding members of the iconic British band.
“After touring the world for 40 years, you’re constantly looking for somewhere new to go. So we played all over the Caribbean, but to come here for the first time, it’s wonderful and I’ve already been told we may well be back.”
Earl Falconer, also an original member of the band, described the experience of being on the island as “incredible” after having visited Stingray City.
“It’s fantastic. We know that every [Caribbean] island is different, but we are having a good time. It’s lovely,” he said.
Drummer and founding member Jimmy Brown added the time was “too short” and quipped that they should stick around longer, which elicited approved from the rest of the band.
Grammy Award-winning record and entertainment executive Amir Windom, who hosted the media conference and is part of the Capella team behind the festival, said it was an honour to be able to host the popular band.
Related Videos
