The word legend is probably banded around a bit much these days, but when it comes to reggae in Birmingham, Basil Gabbidon is pretty close.

The 51-year-old returns to the fray with his band at this year's ArtsFest showing off tracks from their latest album — as well as older favourites from his 30 years as a musician.

He formed his first band, Steel Pulse, alongside his brother Colin on drums and vocalist Lee Alexander in 1978. The band played on the same bill as The Clash and The Buzzcocks at the Rock Against Racism concert that year while he even bumped into the Marley family at this year's Glastonbury Festival.
After recording four albums with Steel Pulse, including Handsworth Revolution, he went on to front Bass Dance in the 1980s and 1990s.

After bands called Gabbidon International and Gabbidon Worldwide, he has taken the Ronseal approach with his latest incarnation.

Nowadays he leads and plays guitar in Gabbidon, an eclectic grouping of musicians, playing a fusion of reggae, rock, ska and jazz styles.

Add into the mix a few catchy rhythms and soulful harmonies, and you are getting somewhere close to describing their sound.

They will be playing this year's ArtsFest, with two shows on Saturday September 15, at 6pm in Centenary Square and at the CBSO Centre at 8.30pm.

The shows will see a mixture of reggae and ska standards as well as Basil's own music with tracks still be some heavy bass.

"I have put a lot of work into this album, and done more of it myself."

Basil said the album is about living in the city and "how crazy it can be".

With his Reggae Rockz festival in Birmingham, Basil has tracked the history of reggae, how it developed from Africa to the Caribbean, through the Wailers. Ska and Bluebeat.

But there is far more to reggae than Bob Marley, said Basil.

"We are trying to keep reggae music alive and try to play concerts at least once a month. We are trying to tell people about it, spreading the word so people are aware of it. People in our community can be a little blase about it, and there are places where people are not keen to go. It is very important to keep the music alive as opposed to discos where it is just recorded. I am not against discos, but I want to keep music alive. it is very important we get out there. You have play new songs so you are developing and moving on. Otherwise it stands still. It is important to do the historic stuff — Fattie Boom Boom, ska stuff as well, but you have to keep moving on. We do play covers, but not obvious ones. We play Small Axe by Bob Marley, which is one of the lesser known songs, but Could You Be Loved and Jamming as well. But there is a danger that people think that-reggae begins and ends with Bob Marley. Reggae has had a major influence on popular music today. It is taken for granted a bit these days. I am not too keen on the violence in hip hop; reggae has a bit more happiness about it. It can be political, but it also reflects on people's lives."

So what next for Basil and the band?
"We will finish the album, and hopefully get some airplay. The plan is to give as many as we can away so people get to know us and come to gigs. We will see what happens from there."

Basil and the band are looking forward to playing ArtsFest.
"It will be really great. Reggae is alive and well in Birmingham and is much better to hear it live than recorded."