Maxi Priest at the party capital

Caption: Maxi Priest

By MATTHEW VARI

REGGAE music fans in the nation’s capital are gearing up for one of the most successful reggae acts to hit the stage at the Lamana Gold Club this Saturday September 27.

The London born Jamaican, Max Alfred "Maxi" Elliott, better known as Maxi Priest is one of a string of big reggae bands to hit the stage at the party capital, others being the famous UB40 band and Inner Circle.

He is a reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent and is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, to be one of the first international successes who regularly experimented in variations in the genre to be one of the most successful reggae fusion acts of all-time.

His cousin, the late Jacob Miller, was the lead man to the last band that performed at the Gold Club, Inner Circle.

For one night only Maxi is set to have a stellar performance following up from his last visit to Port Moresby in 1997, 17 years later.

His first major album was titled Maxi Priest in1988 which, along with his cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World", established him as one of the top British reggae singers.

He is one of only two British reggae acts (along with UB40) to have an American Billboard number one: "Close to You" in 1990. A duet with Roberta Flack, "Set the Night to Music", reached the American Top Ten in 1991.

Other famous Maxi hits include ‘How can we ease the pain?’, ‘Just a little bit longer’, ‘That girl (with Shaggy)’, and ‘Goovin’ in’.

Maxi is set to arrive in Port Moresby on the same day of his performance with his full band, with close to a 1,000 people anticipated to pack GC to catch a glimpse of the reggae icon.

Tickets for the Lamana hotel sponsored concert are currently on sale at the Lamana Hotel reception, wit the main Arena going for K100, Black stage K200, and the Balcony K300.