Meet the group - Steel Pulse

Over the years, Ghanaians, courtesy of event organizers, have had the privilege of coming face-to-face with their favorite foreign artistes through concerts. Like one of those rare occasions, MTN would on Saturday present to soccer and music fans a number of foreign artistes among which is Steel Pulse.

Steel Pulse is one of the world’s greatest reggae bands. Generally a protest-minded Rastafarian group, Steel Plus begun playing authentic roots reggae with traces of jazz and Latin music, earning them massive audience throughout the world.

Their 1978 debut, Handsworth Revolution, is still regarded by many as a landmark and high point of British reggae.

The group was formed in 1975 in Birmingham, England, specifically the ghetto area of Handsworth. The founding members were schoolmates - David Hinds (the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist), Basil Gabbidon (guitar) and Ronnie “Stepper” McQueen (bass). All of them came from poor West Indian immigrant families.

However, the group name was suggested by McQueen after a racehorse, and they soon fleshed out the line-up with drummer Steve “Grizzly” Nisbett, keyboardist/vocalist Selwyn “Bumbo” Brown, percussionist/vocalist Alphonso “Fonso” Martin and vocalist Michael Riley.

For entertaining millions of fans across the globe, the band’s international success has resulted in a Grammy award for its ‘Babylon The Bandit’ album, and nominations for Earth Crisis, Victims, Rastafari Centennial and Rage & Fury.

In 1988, Spike Lee met Steel Pulse at the group’s fundraising concert in Washington DC for the Jamaican victims of ‘88’s Hurricane Gilbert. This resulted in David’s composition of ‘Can’t Stand it’, featuring in Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” movie soundtrack.

Back here in Ghana, the group has an amazingly high number of fans expected to troop to the forecourt of the State House for the official MTN Ghana 2008 Soccer Jam – Go Africa Concert, on Saturday January 19.

Also to be on stage are the sensational music trio, Blu 3 from Uganda, the ever popular Orentchy and ‘Alhajiman’ from La Cote D’Ivoire, the award winning 2 Face from Nigeria, Malaika from South Africa, King Nee from Togo, Metok and several others.

Also performing from host country Ghana in the historic concert are Samini, Ofori Amponsah, Tic-Tac, Kwaw Kese and many others. The Go Africa Concert, tagged the official Ghana 2008 jam is made possible by MTN with support from Stanbic Bank, GTV, TV3, Joy FM, Adom Fm, Peace Fm and Radio Gold, and powered by Charterhouse.