Campbell flies high without UB40 mates

He promised a good show. A memorable one. He would descend on Irish Village with a 10-piece band and sweep a few hundred people off their feet with his trademark reggae beats.

And Friday, November 20, was to be his day of reckoning. Now flying solo after last year's split from his famed UB40 collective, Ali Campbell took stage to prove why he remains one of reggae's foremost ambassadors.

Granted, reggae has just a handful of them. But today's front-runner Shaggy and the promising Sean Paul cannot be left the entire burden of keeping reggae alive. Shaggy is apparently relieved Ali Campbell's back. She's a Lady, his collaboration on Campbell's latest solo album Flying High, rocked a Dubai crowd starving for those melodies powered at 60 beats a minute.

It does not matter if Campbell's made a fortune giving reggae tunes to classic hits. He does them better than the rest. Take his show-closing Red, Red Wine for instance. Or encore hit, Kingston Town. Most people would be hard pressed to remember who sang the original. Odds are most would consider them to be UB40 creations.

The only cover most fans would know was not his is Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling In Love. And yet, the cover topped both UK and US charts.

True talent is hard to dismiss. And Campbell proved it once again as he belted out his own compositions to the sheer joy of all his fans. Everways was an instant hit and his 10-piece, The Dep Band backed their leader with precision breaks and outstanding solos. Craig David who features on the same song in the album certainly was not missed. Campbell exuded confidence as he belted out covers and originals with the contagious energy of a 20-year-old. "Big love," he screamed, as he commanded his fans to drown the PA with regular shouts of approval.

He had opened the night with the rather apt Here I Am Baby. From that moment, more than 500 people got their groove on and danced well after Campbell's near two-hour gig. Well into the night.

We hear he is working on his next solo album, Rhythm Method, and hope that tour brings him back to Dubai. Back for the fans that cherished Friday's performance. Back for those of you that missed it. We didn't miss UB40. We didn't have to. Its creator and frontman was always the real deal. Yes, it's a pity they parted. But we're glad it's brought Campbell back where he belongs; on stage and on our iPods. His is a genius to relish.

Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the Emirates Business 24|7 daily newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.