Third World tops Mother’s Day double bill at Kingston AC Hotel with Marcia Griffiths and Glenn Jones

Reggae’s catalogue grew sharply in 1976, when listeners picked up new long-players from Bob Marley and The Wailers (Rastaman Vibration), Bunny Wailer (Blackheart Man) and Peter Tosh (Legalize It). That same year brought Third World’s debut LP under its own name—roughly three years after the outfit took shape in Kingston—and reviewers often bracket it with those records as one quarter of an elite quartet, noting its wider mix of styles than the others.

On 10 May the group takes the stage for To Mom With Love at the AC Hotel in Kingston, sharing the bill with Marcia Griffiths, United States rhythm-and-blues artist Glenn Jones, Robert Minott and Nesta. Minott, who also produces the series, called Third World a “special group” that reaches listeners across segments. “They’re a great band, I’ve been listening to Third World for years. I even did a song with Bunny Rugs,” he told Observer Online. Bunny Rugs fronted Third World from 1977 until he died in 2014, voicing crowd favourites such as Now That we Found Love, Try Jah Love and Committed.

The lineup has weathered heavy losses: co-founder and guitarist Stephen “Cat” Coore died in January at 69, while fellow co-founder and keyboard player Ibo Cooper died in 2023. Organisers have scheduled two performances—an afternoon set beginning at 1 pm and a night show at 7 pm.