Kingston, Jamaica:
- To those who have been
tracking the career path of reggae singer, Droop Lion, it comes as
no surprise to learn that he has formed a lasting bond with veteran reggae
group, The Gladiators. In fact, it would be perfectly true to say that a merger
of this nature was inevitable.
Having savoured success
in 2012 with the hit single, Freeway, Droop Lion, in a
passionate interview stated: "I want to do the real thing and bring back
the music to the real foundation feel. I want to immerse myself with the elders
... they are the roots, they have trod this path before and they know it better
than we. So who better to learn from?"
Although Droop Lion
didn’t know it at the time, he was charting his own destiny with those daring
words. The answer to that almost rhetorical question was, The Gladiators,
hailed as one of the most exciting groups from the golden age of roots with
extraordinary albums to their name from Coxsone Dodd's Studio One and also on
the English recording label Virgin. Come 2014, and Droop Lion, the singer who
possesses a voice that is twice his own size and weight, is touring
Europe as lead singer for this enduring roots reggae band which had its genesis
in the year 1966. Over the decades, The Gladiators have blazed trails, toured
consistently and have proven to be a favourite on the big reggae festivals
across the length and breath of Europe.
Interestingly, Droop
Lion is the nephew of original Gladiators member David Webber, and, naturally
he grew up on songs from their catalogue. However, he never, ever dreamed that
one day he would be so favoured to not only go on tour, but to also record an
album with this legendary group, doing classics such as Bongo
Red, Hello Carol, Jah Works and Burning and
Looting. In February of this year, Droop Lion completed 25
sold-out dates across Europe as lead singer of The Gladiators and he recently
returned to Jamaica from his second tour with the group. With this being
festival season in Europe, the brief break lasted one and half weeks, after
which they left for Europe last Wednesday, for another relentless round of
shows. The 15-city tour officially kicked off on July 25 and saw the group
doing shows in three different countries - France, Spain and Belgium - one
after the other, with other dates including countries such as Germany, Italy and
Poland.
“It’s just Jah works,”
Droop Lion said of the fruitful merger between him and The Gladiators and the
Clive Hunt/Cabel Stephenson-produced album entitled The Gladiators
Featuring Droop Lion – Back On Tracks. “Gladiators is a brand that has
been around for 50 years and I have to give them the thumbs up for embracing me
without hesitation and allowing me to experience first-hand the real meaning of
partaking in the feast of the elders,” he continued.
He confessed that being
on stage in Europe and feeling the intense vibrations of singing a Gladiators
song, followed by a Droop Lion song is an experience that has brought him to
tears. “I am just overcome with emotions and the tears just spill forth. Tears
of gratitude for the many layers of goodness that this union has uncovered,
tears of pure joy and tears of love,” said the musical ambassador who is signed
to Free People Entertainment.
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