HAWAII – It is February and the “Worlaz” kicked of their 2012 year-long world tour in Hawaii with four unique performances. Though no strangers to the island, fans have been earnestly waiting for their visit and to see the band perform singles from their current album Patriots. The island was abuzz the minute their arrival was announced and in typically fashion, band members took to the airwaves to promote the shows and greet fans.
Prior to their performances, the band attended a meet and greet held in their honor at Tropics Café in Honolulu. Fans gathered at the venue to take photos with the band and musicians showed up to have their instruments signed. The apparent admiration and respect for a band now celebrating 39 years was overwhelming at times but the group remained humbled and spoke to everyone present. Band members Maurice Gregory (Keyboard) and Tony “Ruption” Williams (Drummer) joined local favorite Mike Love on stage for an impromptu jam session. Cat Coore remarks “The people of Hawaii are very warm and have been supportive of our music over the years. It is always great to perform there and meet the fans. We are grateful – we don’t take that for granted.” And with that Third World took over the island in a four concert showdown on the islands of Hilo, Kauai, Oahu and Maui.
On Thursday, February 16th the band performed at Hilo Palace Theatre in Hilo. Hawaiian musicians Mike Love and Paula Fuga (an American Idol contestant) opened for the Third World. However the surprise of the night came when Paula Fuga returned to the stage to perform “Irie Ites,” which was recently re-recorded with the songstress, with the band. Other surprises of the night included additional classics to the set list such as “Jah Glory,” “African Woman,” “Riddim Haffi Rule” and “Dancing on the Floor.” After their performance fans gathered backstage to meet the band and take photos.
The band flew to their second locale on Friday, February 17th to perform in Kauai at the Kuhio Lounge (Aston Hotel). The slightly younger fan base converged to dance the night away with the Reggae Ambassadors. The set was not free of fans screaming selections that they wanted to hear. The most requested single was “Roots and Quality.” For the performances on the 18th in Oahu and the 19th in Maui, the band shared the stage with Tarrus Riley and Dean Fraser. The camaraderie of both bands resulted in a drumming jam session during soundcheck which led to one of Tarrus’s band members joining Third World on stage later that night during the drum solo segment. The fans were delighted.
In the true spirit of giving, Third World was happy to learn that proceeds from the shows would benefit Mana Maoli (“MM”). MM is a non-profit organization that strives for community empowerment. One of the programs under the organization is the Maoli Music program, wherein musicians donate their time and talent to MM CDs, concerts, school visits and music mentorships. Richard Daley adds “To be able to support a good cause is something that we always try to be a part of. When we learned that proceeds from the concerts would benefit charity, we were enthused to say the least. It made our performance much more meaningful.”
After their performances, Third World returned to Florida where they will perform at Reggae Jam alongside Inner Circle at the Adrienne Arsht Center on Friday, February 24, 2012. The concert will double as a tribute to Jacob Miller, the late Inner Circle singer who was killed in a 1980 car crash. As quoted in the Miami New Times, “The last person Jacob Miller sang with was Third World,” notes Lewis. And the night before his death, Coore explains, Miller joined the band onstage for a performance inside a Jamaican penitentiary. The singer, whose hits with Inner Circle included “Tenement Yard” and “Tired Fi Lick Weed,” showed up the following night to Third World’s tenth anniversary concert. But he never made it inside. “He just came to the gate and said, ‘I soon come back,’ “Coore recalls. “And we never saw him again.”
