Headlining the very first Raggamuffin will be UB40, arguably the world's most popular reggae band. Their combined single and album sales are in excess of 70 million, which puts them in that elite category populated by the likes of The Police & Robbie Williams. They've had a staggering 51 hit singles, which is more than ANY other British outfit apart from Status Quo (and, yes, that includes The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, U2 and everyone else); and they've had #1smash hits in virtually every chart on the planet.

There's no doubt the eight boyhood friends of English, Scottish, Irish, Yemeni and Jamaican parentage from the inner- city areas of Birmingham, have done as much to popularise reggae globally as Bob Marley himself.

UB40's best-known songs - One In Ten, Many Rivers To Cross, Cherry Oh Baby, I Got You Babe, Don't Break My Heart, Rat In Mi Kitchen, Kingston Town, Red Red Wine - always have audiences in fine voice, and their last album Who You Fighting For was nominated for a Grammy as 2006's Best Reggae Album.

Their new album (coming to NZ soon) Under the Influence is set to be a UB40 classic. The band felt it was time to pay tribute to their early reggae and classic soul influences, and so have recorded wonderful versions of songs by Peter  Tosh, Burning Spear, Stevie Wonder, U Roy, Gregory Isaacs and Black Uhuru, to mention just a few. Their covers are destined to be crowd-pleasers when played live. 
www.ub40.co.uk
   

Born in Jamaica, and raised in the UK, Maxi Priest first gained worldwide recognition with the release of Maxi (1988). Recorded in Jamaica with legendary musicians Sly Dunbar, Robbie  Shakespeare, and Willie Lindo, it contained the hit singles Some Guys Have All The Luck and a cover of the Cat Steven's classic Wild World.

Maxi followed up this success with 1990's gold album release Bonafide. The single Close To You hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart, #2 on the Hot R&B Singles chart, and solidified Maxi's title as the 'King of Lover's Rock'.

Maxi Priest's reputation for balancing hard-core reggae vibes with mainstream pop was firmly cemented by the mid nineties, leading to widespread critical acclaim and massive growth in his popularity as a recording and touring artist.
www.maxipriest.com 
      

Wellington 8-piece THE BLACK SEEDS have, since forming in 1997, achieved gold and double platinum selling albums. The band recently signed to renowned European based labels Sonar Kollek/Best Seven and Rough Trade NL and in July 2007 released their highly anticipated album Into The Dojo throughout NZ and Europe. The album reached double platinum sales after spending five consecutive weeks at #1 in the NZ album charts.

The Black Seeds first started turning heads in 2001 with their debut album Keep On Pushing which was released in NZ (via Indie label Loop Recordings), Australia (via Shock Records), France, Belgium and Switzerland (through Productions Speciales). Keep On Pushing's debut single reached #29 in France's Groove charts and #100 in the overall French single charts.

The bands second studio album, On the Sun (2004) debuted at #3 on the NZ album charts, achieving double platinum sales, and the single So True was one of the most popular and highly played songs of 2005. The Black Seeds have completed three successful European tours including a 27-show tour in 2006 performing across Holland, Austria, Germany, Scotland, England and Ireland, and have headlined successful gigs in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
www.theblackseeds.com 
   

Famed for co-starring with Bob Marley on all of his hit records and stage shows, The Wailers are the most celebrated reggae outfit of all time. Their live show consists of classic hits like Buffalo Soldier, I Shot the Sheriff, Is This Love, No Woman No Cry, Exodus, Jamming, One Love, Get Up Stand Up, and the list goes on and on.. Replacing Bob Marley after his death, Junior Marvin took up lead vocals, and in 1997 The Wailers bandleader (and Marley's right hand man) Aston 'Family Man' Barrett recruited a young Jamaican singer named Elan to front the band.

Elan had never performed with a band onstage before he did his first show, but believed the spirituality of Marley's music and lyrics helped him find himself. His presence in The Wailers has brought freshness and vitality to the already celebrated line-up, including original members Aston 'Family Man' Barrett (the King of reggae bass players and Marley's Musical director), and Al Anderson, who's played and recorded with Lauryn Hill, Ben Harper, and James Brown, as well as Marley and Tosh. After leaving for a few years to pursue a solo career, Elan reunited with The Wailers in early 2007.
www.thewailers.com
   

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT lit up audiences when they were last in NZ this March supporting INXS and Simple Minds. The two-time Grammy winners are back in action with a great new album Since The Last Time. The eight-piece band's music shook the bootys, hearts and minds of listeners across the planet with hits like Mr Wendal, Everyday People, Miracles and Tennessee along the way to selling five million albums - it's good to have them back!

Fronted by the charismatic Speech, Arrested Development are known for rockin' samples, live instruments, bold scratching, organic sounds and amazing vocals which form their unique and irresistible blend of hip-hop. They are an amazing band to experience live, and are sure to be popular with Raggamuffin crowds.
www.arresteddevelopmentmusic.com 
   

KATCHAFIRE are NZ's premier reggae outfit. Their 2003 debut album Revival yielded the countries biggest selling single Giddy Up. Katchafire have since continued to release high selling albums, have supported bands such as Michael Franti / Spearhead and The Wailers on their 05 NZ tour, and played to great acclaim at concerts and reggae festivals around the world. 2007 has seen the band with a busy International calendar taking the stage at festivals such as Roskilde in Denmark, Rototomsplash in Italy, SummerJam in Germany, Larmer Tree and Rhythms Of The World in England to estimated crowds of around 300,000.
www.katchafire.co.nz