🇬🇧🇯🇲 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 🎶
STEEL PULSE
Britain’s Roots Reggae Revolutionaries
From Handsworth, Birmingham, to the biggest stages around the world, Steel Pulse have spent more than five decades carrying the sound and message of British roots reggae across the globe.
Formed in 1975 by school friends in Handsworth, the group became one of Britain’s most influential reggae bands, combining powerful roots rhythms with socially conscious lyrics addressing racism, inequality, human rights, African identity and freedom.
🌍 SO, WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Still active. Still touring. Still making their presence felt.
Founding member David “Dread” Hinds remains the band’s frontman and principal creative force, with longtime member Selwyn Brown also continuing with the group. Steel Pulse remain an active touring band, with their music continuing to reach audiences internationally.
Their latest studio album, Mass Manipulation, arrived in 2019 — their first studio album in 15 years. The album earned Steel Pulse another Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album in 2020.
🏆 GRAMMY HISTORY
Steel Pulse made history at the 1987 Grammy Awards, when Babylon the Bandit won Best Reggae Album. They became the first non-Jamaican act to win the reggae Grammy.
Their Grammy story didn’t end there. Steel Pulse have received nine Grammy nominations and one win, with nominations spanning decades — including Steppin’ Out, Victims, Rastafari Centennial, Rage & Fury, Living Legacy, African Holocaust and Mass Manipulation.
And here’s the important update: Steel Pulse are not the only non-Jamaican Grammy winners in the category. Sting and Shaggy won Best Reggae Album in 2019 for 44/876.
🎶 THE CLASSICS
Steel Pulse’s catalogue has given reggae fans generations of powerful music, including:
🔥 Handsworth Revolution
🔥 Ku Klux Klan
🔥 Your House
🔥 Rally ‘Round
🔥 Steppin’ Out
🔥 True Democracy
🔥 Roller Skates
Their landmark debut album Handsworth Revolution was released in 1978 after the group signed with Island Records, while True Democracy helped establish their presence in the United States.
🇬🇧 FIVE DECADES OF BRITISH REGGAE
Steel Pulse are much more than a successful reggae band.
They are part of the story of Black British music, the development of British reggae and the evolution of roots music outside Jamaica.
From the streets of Handsworth to international concert stages, they demonstrated that reggae could carry a distinctly British voice while remaining deeply connected to Jamaican roots.
More than 50 years after their formation, Steel Pulse continue to represent a powerful chapter in reggae history.
The music lives. The message lives. The Pulse continues. ❤️💛💚
👇 What’s your favourite Steel Pulse song or album?
SVE MUSIC — Celebrating The Legends of Reggae & Dancehall.
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