The Original Wailers, UB40, Trojan Sound System To Perform At World Tennis League In Dubai

Reggae music is set to reign alongside tennis at the second staging of the World Tennis League (WTL) in Dubai, an event that Middle Eastern media  have predicted will be an “unforgettable experience for tennis and music fans alike”, come December 23.

The competition, which will be held at the Etihad Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, is an exhibition mixed-gender team tennis tournament, and the promoters have invited fans of the sport to show up to the event to enjoy the music to be provided by UB40, The Original Wailers and Trojan Sound System, which is official sound system representing Trojan Records worldwide since 2004.

“The Greatest Show On Court is back for Season 2!  Groove to the rhythms and beats of Reggae Night, with a lineup of bonafide reggae legends: UB40 featuring Ali Campbell; The Wailers featuring Al Anderson (and) Trojan Sound System featuring Daddy Ad,” an Instagram post from the WTL noted.

Trojan Sound System is slated to open proceedings on Reggae Night and will be followed by The Original Wailers featuring Al Anderson, the sole member of the Bob Marley and The Wailers mid-1970s line-up, while UB40’s lead singer and founder Ali Campbell will close the session.

Dubbed by its organizers as the “Greatest Show on Court” the competition, which the WTL says is not affiliated with either the Association of Tennis Professionals or the Women’s Tennis Association, is expected to feature some of the world’s finest tennis players, during the four-day event which spans Thursday December 21, to Sunday Christmas Eve on December 24.

The first edition of the WTL was staged in December 2022.  Its format sees players being divided into four teams, each consisting of four or five players. These teams play and compete with each other in a round-Robin format which features one men’s single match, one women’s single match, and a mixed double match.  The name of the teams are Falcons, Eagles, Kites and Hawks, and one of them is led by Serbian tennis great, Novak Djokovic.

As for the musicians, US-born Anderson, who was employed by Island Records to play lead guitar on Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Natty Dread sessions and who became the Gong’s lead guitarist, rose to fame following his instrumentation on songs such as “No Woman, No Cry”, and “Three O’ Clock Road Block”.

Ali Campbell is a founding member and lead singer of UB40. The band, which was formed in Birmingham in December 1978, has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and, with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, the band is considered one of the most decorated and successful Reggae groups ever.  Their successes have been predicated on recording albums containing cover versions of older Reggae songs, many of which were composed by newbies to Jamaica’s music industry. 

As for the London-based Trojan Sound System, it was formed in 2004, and is considered an institution in British Sound System culture, representing what is described as the most seminal reggae and ska record label in history.

Trojan Sound System, which describes itself as the original crew that broke reggae music and culture back into contemporary clubs festivals, is led by Daddy Ad, and has, over the years, headlined numerous large musical events and supported Reggae icons such as Gregory Isaacs, Luciano and riddim twins Sly and Robbie.

Rajesh Banga, Chairman of World Tennis League, is quoted in a release as saying that the organisation was “thrilled” to have the Reggae acts headline the evening concerts of the World Tennis League in December.

“This unique blend of world class international acts will feature as part of our Reggae night, bringing their iconic hits to light up Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena. It promises to be an amazing spectacle and we encourage our fans to book their tickets now to experience the Greatest Show on Court,” he said.

The first staging of the event in 2022 had featured renowned tennis stars such as Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek, while musically it had featured Afrobeats star Wizkid, as well as Dutch DJ and music producer Tiesto, and his Canadian counterpart Deadmau5, among others.