Fab 5 drops festive single ‘Don’t Drop the Ball’
Published:Wednesday | June 17, 2020 | 12:19 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
No group does celebration quite like Fab 5, and the 50-year-old band, which has found success with all genres of Jamaica music, as well as their own compositions of soca, is proving their tried and tested formula yet again with their latest single, Don’t Drop the Ball. It’s festival meets carnival in this slick, danceable tune which paints a picture of the ultimate party, even while managing to uplift.
In fact, the notes on the song says, “Fab 5’s contribution to Festival 2020” and the lyrics, which encourage a proud nation to rise out of the misery caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, reflect the spirit of independence. “ Jamaicans tougher than tough and we will smile again … One hand alone cyaan clap, we need di two a dem ... So mek we work wid di new sinting, social distancing, but mek we touch one another with love and unity while we celebrating,” Fab 5 sings in Don’t Drop the Ball.
It is festival at its best, and, with the number of established acts named as finalists in this year’s Jamaica Festival Song Competition, it would not have been surprising to hear that Fab 5 had thrown their hat into the ring, but it is not so. “We just decided just to do a song to enliven Jamaica and Jamaicans all over the world during this summer and independence. COVID-19 has put a damper on entertainment and Jamaica needs a lively, uplifting song to celebrate with,” band leader Frankie Campbell shared with The Gleaner.
The band is happy with this newest addition to their extensive repertoire, and also the fact that it gave them something productive to do during the seemingly endless lockdown period. Like the rest of the players in the music industry, Fab 5 has suffered huge losses from cancelled and postponed events since March. “For the first time in 50 years we are unemployable, and it is just a weird feeling,” Campbell said. “Not many persons can survive four months without a salary. The music industry is now on life support,” he added.
FAB 5 TURNS 50
But Campbell is not one to dwell on things he cannot change. Fab 5 is doing their best to remain in celebration mode, as highlighted in Don’t Drop the Ball. “We will be 50 years old in November this year, and that is a very important milestone. Fab 5 as a reggae/soca/pop band has worked with greats from Miss Lou, Rex Nettleford, Bob Marley, Mighty Sparrow to Beenie Man, Sean Paul and with almost every popular Jamaican and Caribbean entertainer in-between,” Campbell said with pride.
Formed in 1970, Fab 5 is Jamaica’s pre-eminent popular band, whether measured by record sales at home, hits on the charts, frequency of engagements or major awards won over the years, are the opening lines about the band on their website. Deserving of the title, “the busiest band in Jamaica”, Fab 5 are in great demand for concerts, dances and as creators of commercial jingles for radio and television. Among their prestigious awards are four golden microphones. Fab 5 has their own recording studio, Stage Studio, and record label and distribution company Stage Records. The band has the distinction of being chosen for almost every national and state occasion since the mid-1970s. Their most recent national award was being named one of only 10 recipients of the Reggae Gold Honour Award presented by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport last year.