The living legends of reggae music had hundreds swaying to their tunes
at Indigo in Sheraton Doha over the weekend. By Umer Nangiana
The wait was over. They were finally here and as expected they were cheered by a large crowd, one of the biggest in the town ever for such musical performances. Singing songs from the time of their collaborations with legendary Bob Marley, The Wailers, themselves the living legends of reggae music, sent hundreds swaying to their tunes at Indigo, Sheraton Doha, on Friday night.
Playing hits such as Is This Love, Could You Be Loved, Three Little Birds, Buffalo Soldier, Get Up Stand Up and One Love … the singers Dwayne Anglin and Cegee Victory accompanied by the musicians paid rich tributes to Marley. The audience sang with them.
“They are the Wailers. They are the descendants of Bob Marley and they are the biggest music icons the world has ever seen so of course this many people is not surprise for us,” said Jared, the Managing Director of Iconic Advertising and Events, the organisers of the concert, while talking to Community.
“They had a fiercely busy tour, which included Doha, Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Sri Lanka. We are also part of the tour and it was not difficult organising it because in this year we have already done Ed Sheeran and in the past years we have hosted Bryan Adams as well,” he added.
Together with the legendary Bob Marley, the Wailers have sold in excess of 250mn records worldwide. As the greatest living exponents of Jamaica’s reggae tradition, they have completed innumerable tours, playing to an estimated 24mn people across the globe.
Jared said their show was one of the biggest gigs here in Indigo. “This is been the biggest gig here. It is double the capacity of the one where Paul Van Dyk performed. There are almost 2,000 people here tonight,” he revealed.
For the entire two-hour long performance, Indigo, the outdoor space by the beach remained bustling with a cheerful crowd, who swayed to songs of Bob Marley and other reggae greats. Outside of their ground-breaking work with Marley, the Wailers have also performed with international acts like Sting, the Fugees, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana and Alpha Blondy, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Burning Spear. Their nucleus was formed in 1969, when Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh recruited the Barrett brothers, bassist Aston ‘Family Man’ and drummer Carly, from Lee Perry’s ‘Upsetters’ to play on hits such as Lively Up Yourself, Trenchtown Rock, Duppy Conqueror and many more.
Inspired by Rastafari and their ambitions of reaching an international audience, the bands original line-up was the one that pioneered roots rock reggae, and signed to Island Records in 1971. Bunny and Peter left two years later.
It was at this point that the in-demand Barrett brothers, whose rhythms also underpinned innumerable 70s’ reggae hits by other acts, assumed the title of ‘Wailers’, and backed Marley on the group’s international breakthrough album, Natty Dread.
Under Family Man’s musical leadership, they then partnered with Bob Marley on the succession of hit singles and albums that made him a global icon, winner of several Lifetime Achievement awards and Jamaica’s best-loved musical superstar.
Drummer Carlton “Carlie” Barrett died in 1987, leaving his brother as the main beneficiary of the Wailers’ mantle. Reggae music has never stopped evolving but for millions of people from around the world it is still defined by the songs of Bob Marley and the Wailers.
It has been their heartbeat rhythms that have inspired so much of what has followed since, as evidenced by the enduring popularity of the “one-drop” reggae sound. The history of the band during Marley’s lifetime is well-known. Their most recent collaborators include Kenny Chesney, Eve, Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.
The anchor of the band is Aston Barrett, who in addition to being Marley’s most trusted lieutenant, played on countless other classic reggae hits throughout the ’70s. The authenticity he brings to the Wailers’ sound is indisputable and yet today’s line-up combines old school know-how with lead vocals from one of Jamaica’s most exciting new singers, Dwayne Anglin.
“This is the last gig at Indigo until September this year and we will come back with a concert called ’30 Seconds to Mars with Jared Leto’ here at Sheraton,” said Jared. The Wailers was by followed by local band The Exiles and singer Adum Baluche as the party went on into the night with the rhythm set by the reggae legends.
STRIKING A CHORD: The Wailers performed at Indigo in Sheraton Doha on Friday night. Photos by Umer Nangiana
