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IT'S BEEN almost 50 years since Toots Hibbert and The Maytals began recording songs that are now regarded as classics. Those hits continue to serve the group well, making them one of the most successful reggae acts on tour.
Toots and his band were on the road for much of 2008. The veteran unit covered the gamut: playing the European festival circuit, touring the United States with Grammy winners Sheryl Crow and James Blunt and performing at a private party for Elvis Presley's grandson.
"I am sure that Toots tours more than any other reggae act out of Jamaica consistently. He has created a whole new fan base which comes from touring and working so much with international acts like the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Buffett, Los Lonely Boys, Dave Matthews, No Doubt, Ben Harper and many others," said Mike Cacia, the group's manager.
Main phase
The main phase of Toots and The Maytals' 2008 tour started in the US in May before moving to Europe where they played from June 4 to July 16.
From July 28 to August 31, the group was back in the US with Crow and Blunt. Crow, who was promoting her new Detours album, was the headliner.
Cacia told The Gleaner that Toots consistently attracts maximum 3,000 fans to his solo shows in the US. Ninety per cent of the crowd is usually white, he said.
Toots and The Maytals' booking agent in the US is William Morris Agency.
Toots, whose catalogue of hit songs includes Funky Kingston, Monkey Man and Pressure Drop, has experienced a career revival in the past five years.
His 2004 album, True Love, featured collaborations with Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Beck and No Doubt. It won the Grammy award for Best Reggae Album in 2005.
Extensive US tours
Another seasoned reggae act, The Wailers, also did well in 2008. They did two extensive US tours which were bolstered by a hit song (Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven) they recorded with country star Kenny Chesney.
Sean Paul and Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley, the most successful reggae performers of the last eight years, were quiet for most of the year. They appeared at select events.
Stephen Marley also toured well on the strength of his Grammy-winning Mind Control album, while Morgan Heritage had a two-month run in Europe and the US where they promoted their Mission in Progress album.
Although their days as hitmakers have long passed, acts like Toots, The Wailers, Burning Spear and Culture have done well tour-wise on both sides of the Atlantic.
Since 2000, Sean Paul, Shaggy and Junior Gong have headlined major world tours thanks to platinum-selling albums like Dutty Rock and Trinity, Hot Shots and Welcome to Jamrock.
Tour notes
Cherine Anderson, who starred in the movie 'Dancehall Queen', is making waves on the international scene as a singer.
The Wailers is scheduled to start a monthlong tour of the United States with a show in San Diego, California, today.
Ky-Mani Marley's eight-date tour of Brazil gets going January 6 in the city of Fortaleza.
The Raggamuffin Festival, featuring Ziggy Marley, Shaggy, Inner Circle and Arrested Development, starts January 24 in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Singer Cherine Anderson toured extensively in 2008, opening for punk/rock bands Slightly Stoopid and Spearhead.
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