We have stood the test of time! - Third World shares secret to longevity

Even after four and a half decades in the music industry, reggae ambassadors, Third World insists that there is still more work to be done. That is the title of their latest album slated to drop next Friday, and that is the message the band wants to send to the world.

“The fact that after 45 years, we still feel like we have more to do is exactly why we chose that title for the album,” said Cat Coore, the band’s guitarist. “Our mission in music is still not complete, and so we continue to push on and put in the work.”

Coore told The Sunday Gleaner that the band has stood the test of time and has survived in an era where many reggae bands are slowly disintegrating. He believes that their dedication to music is the secret to their longevity.

“In the early days of Third World, we committed ourselves to the music, and that dedication is what, I think, has carried us through. We were really serious about our musical career in a time when the people around us thought that music wouldn’t sustain you as a career.”

He continued, “In the music business, your stability would run out after a time, but we didn’t consider that at all, and so we committed ourselves to a lifetime of music,” he said, while encouraging bands to stick together no matter what.

“We’re happy and feeling very strongly about the fact that we have been able to keep our thing going for so long because a lot of the groups aren’t lasting this long. We’ve seen this even in very recent times with groups like No Maddz, Raging Fyah having a break, and it’s very disappointing for us. In our days, it was all about sticking together and fighting our way through problems. It’s not easy to keep a group together. a lot of people have different vibrations. there are levels of talent, and so it’s hard. But we need to keep our groups together.”

With that said, Coore said that the band was particularly tested in 2014 when they lost their lead vocalist, William ‘Bunny Rugs’ Clarke. “There was no one who could really fill Bunny’s shoes because Bunny took his shoes with him when he left. But for us to have been able to access AJ Brown, have him come into the group and be a part of the family was something special. He is a very special talent who had a career out there and was pretty much accomplished in the business on his own, and so it was a blessing that he was able to come and embrace us,” he said.

“It was a natural thing, and so the music was never affected in any way. We still maintained that quality with his (AJ’s) addition, and it speaks volumes again to our dedication. We have been very successful with AJ, and we give thanks for him because the band couldn’t stop. the mission had to continue.”

Although there is still ‘more work to be done’, Coore told The Sunday Gleaner that if the group’s legacy were to be defined, he would want people to remember them as the band who created good music and gave phenomenal live performances. “We’ve always credited ourselves for those two things, especially our performances. We always created an impact on stage and, we’d like that part of our legacy to be preserved for our kids, who, we are hoping, will take up the mantle from us.”

The album, More Work To Be Done, will feature an array of artistes, including Chronixx, Tarrus Riley, Busy Signal, Pressure Busspipe, Tessanne Chin, and Damian “Jr Gong” Marley. Marley also acts as producer on the album. When the compilation drops on Friday, it will be available across all digital media platforms, on CD, cassette tape, vinyl and on the band’s website as well as at select retail outlets.