Inner Circle at wROCK for Freedom: reggae at Wrocław’s Zajezdnia History Centre

Among the festival's stars will be Inner Circle, celebrating half a century in music and known worldwide for mega-hits “Sweat (A La LaLaLaLong)” and “Bad Boys”. The Jamaican five-piece have a Grammy to their name and have ranked among the international reggae scene's very best for decades.

Founded in 1968 by brothers Ian and Roger Lewis, Inner Circle, also called The Bad Boys of Reggae, initially achieved little success. In 1973, some members left to form Third World. The Lewis brothers persevered and began working with excellent singer Jacob Miller a year later. Tragically, in 1980, just as major international fame seemed imminent, Miller died in a car accident.

Inner Circle only achieved worldwide success in the 1990s. Released in 1992 as “Bad Boys”, the reissue of the fantastic “Bad To The Bone”, containing “Sweat (A La LaLaLaLong)”, “Rock with You”, “Wrapped Up in Your Love”, “Living It Up”, “Hey Love” and “Bad Boys”, sold 7 million copies and won the 1993 Grammy for Best Reggae Album. The group followed up a year later with “Reggae Dancer”, featuring another major hit, “Games People Play”.

The recipe for success proved to be Jamaican rhythms seasoned with a solid dose of pop and party energy, plus irresistible melodies that make their hits easy to hum from memory. On 1 September, a true musical celebration awaits: a timeless genre, reggae, and a timeless band. A truly killer combination!

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