Great friends that include some of our very own homegrown reggae heroes, of whom Campbell met through a defining moment of Kiwi activism.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, the first time we came to New Zealand, there was an anti-apartheid demonstration in the streets. We got off the coach and threw our luggage into the hotel, and we joined that demo. That\u2019s where we met Herbs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the years, they\u2019ve introduced us to many other musical acts. I\u2019ve actually just played with Katchafire and did something on their record.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ongoing popularity of Herbs and Katchafire is just one indication that Kiwis have always had a longstanding love for reggae, as is the fact that UB40\u2019s covers of Red, Red Wine and I Can\u2019t Help Falling In Love With You were mainstays in the NZ charts.<\/p>\n
Kingston Calling 2026\u2019s headline act is UB40 featuring Ali Campbell. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
That last one, Campbell agreed, was almost unofficially a summer anthem here. Their song Maybe Tomorrow also gets a massive reaction from Kiwi crowds. And when it comes to album sales, the band have sold over 70 million of them worldwide.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think UB40 were very wise in choosing reggae as our genre. I mean, it was the music we grew up with and we loved,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not so much that UB40 are great, it\u2019s that people love reggae, and we\u2019ve got a worldwide fan base. We\u2019re very lucky for that. Anywhere in the world that you go, people turn up for a reggae concert because it\u2019s a unifying music. It\u2019s about peace and love and unity, and it brings people together, you know, in the spirit of collaboration, cooperation, and freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sense of unity and pride is also apparent when Campbell speaks about his longstanding respect for M\u0101ori culture and wh\u0101nau. <\/p>\n
\u201cI do love the M\u0101ori culture, you know. It\u2019s a shame that your new boss is trying to rewrite history at the moment. I think that\u2019s a bit of a sad thing,\u201d he says, referring to prime minister Christopher Luxon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit like Trump, isn\u2019t it? Trump\u2019s busy doing the same thing in America, getting rid of you know, statues that celebrate emancipation and all that, saying, \u2018Oh, no, it\u2019s that\u2019s the wrong image for our children,\u2019 you know. He\u2019s busy rewriting history, and I think the same thing\u2019s happening with M\u0101ori in New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zane Henry, of the Treaty Grounds cultural group Te Pito Whenua, issues a challenge to UB40 frontman Ali Campbell at Whare Runanga, Waitangi Treaty Grounds in 2016. Photo \/ Peter De Graff<\/p>\n