Aswad

After fifteen albums and two decades on the music scene, Aswad remain one of Britain’s best-loved reggae bands…

The duo of the late Drummie Zeb (vocals and drums), and Tony Gadd (bass, keyboards, vocals), are renowned among reggae fans for their adventurous fusion of musical styles such as dancehall, funk, hip-hop and dub.

In 1988, Aswad earned international acclaim with their reggae version of “Don’t Turn Around,” which sailed to the No. 1 slot in the U.K. Charts.

In 1994, Aswad captured a host of new fans with the release of the album Rise & Shine, a recording which saw the band’s first Grammy nomination for “Best Reggae Album of the Year.” A major hit in the UK and Japan, the album also gave the band another No.1 hit with the now famous summer reggae anthem ‘Shine.’

The band has toured extensively, playing to packed houses in diverse locales from London’s Royal Albert Hall and Montego Bay’s Reggae Sunsplash, to gigs in West Africa, Israel and Japan.

This legendary British Reggae band returned with a new album in 2018 called ‘To The Top’, a rich mix of musical genres, from pop and reggae, to lover’s rock and urban roots.

As Vibe Magazine noted, “Aswad seems set to shine for years to come” and we were lucky enough to have them shining on the main stage of Summer Soulstice in 2019. Sadly just three years later, Drummie passed away at aged just 62… Rest in power maestro.