The iconic British reggae band UB40 has issued a stern rebuke to event organizer Ali Alibhai and his company Talent Africa, categorically denying any plans for a performance in Uganda.
The band, known for hits like “Red Red Wine” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” urged the Mr Alibhai to cease the dissemination of false claims.
The band’s declaration has left fans disheartened and Alibhai confronting a crisis of credibility.
In a statement posted on the band’s official website, UB40 suggests that Alibhai couldn’t have contracted it’s former singer Ali Campbell who broke ranks with the group 15 years ago.
STATEMENT
UB40 sincerely apologises to fans in Uganda and clarifies that we will NOT be performing in the upcoming concert, which is falsely billed as “UB40”, or” UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell”,
The official UB40 group, distances itself from the upcoming show in Uganda, taking place at Kololo Independence Grounds on December 21st, following headlines and publications promoting a ‘UB40’ concert, hailing a return for the first time since 2008.
Promoting partners at ‘Africa Talent Group’ are quoted in a YouTube video saying, “This will be the second and last time UB40 will be coming to Uganda.”
UB40’s management want to make it clear, the claims are completely untrue and that the band hopes to return to Uganda in the future.
Former vocalist Ali Campbell, who left UB40 over 15 years ago in 2008, is currently slated to perform in Uganda, purporting to feature the original band. He is touring with the name “UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell..” However, there are in fact no members of UB40 in this group and ex-member Ali Campbell is misleading fans and the general public by billing the tour as UB40 and UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell.
There is not a single member of UB40 in Ali Campbell’s backing group – and none of his band have ever performed with UB40, or contributed to a UB40 record.
The official UB40 band wishes to make it clear that a current concert, is in NO way associated with UB40 and the founding members of the legendary group. The show on the 21st December will see Mr. Ali Campbell being accompanied by a backing band of session musicians.
4 out of 5 of the surviving founding members of UB40, Robin Campbell, Jimmy Brown, Earl Falconer and Norman Hassan, have remained in UB40 and have been touring and releasing albums globally for 45 years. UB40 wishes to disassociate themselves from this falsehood and hopes to return to Uganda and the African continent in the near future.
