Toots and the Maytals, now fronted by Leba Hibbert, daughter of the late reggae great Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, brought their Reggae Got Soul 50th Anniversary Tour to Brighton’s Chalk venue on Friday, May 9.
The crowd was already in motion before the band even took to the stage, ready to celebrate an evening of classic reggae.
Chalk, always warm and buzzing at capacity, proved an ideal setting for the celebratory atmosphere.
The legacy of Toots and the Maytals is alive and well (Image: The Argus)
From the opening song, it was clear this was no tribute act going through the motions.
While not all current band members hail from the original Maytals lineup, each performed with clear passion and respect for the group’s legacy.
Their rhythm section delivered an easy, unforced groove, bringing the warmth and depth of rhythm fans associate with the classic Toots sound.
There was room for experimentation, too.
Moments of neo-soul and even bursts of heavy rock found their way into the set, adding freshness without compromising the music’s roots.
It was a reminder that the Maytals’ sound has always drawn from gospel and soul, as much as reggae.
Leba Hibbert took command of the stage with poise and conviction. Her own material was met with genuine enthusiasm, not just polite applause between better-known songs.
Leba performed a duet with a recording of her father’s voice (Image: The Argus)
Her experience working alongside reggae luminaries like Sly & Robbie and Jimmy Cliff shone through, and she carries the Maytals’ legacy with confidence.
When the classics arrived, the crowd responded in full. Pressure Drop set the room swaying, its bass line as irresistible as ever.
But it was 54-46 Was My Number – a song Toots wrote about his imprisonment on a cannabis charge in the late 1960s – that truly brought the house down.
Its hypnotic rhythm and joyful delivery made it easy to see why it remains one of the most powerful songs in reggae’s live canon.
The night closed with Monkey Man, a staple of Jamaica’s musical heritage and the perfect party-ender.
Mr Hibbert died in September 2020, but Friday’s performance showed that his music lives on, vibrant and undimmed.
The current edition of Toots and the Maytals, led by his daughter, is not simply reliving past glories, but keeping the music alive and letting it evolve – and on this night, it worked beautifully.
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