Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
Commonwealth Games Official Theme Song 2022
By UB40, Shoestring Records 2022.
With the Commonwealth Games kicking off in Birmingham this weekend, the Games Committee has employed the services of legendary English reggae band UB40 to record the theme song for the celebration.
Using Birmingham natives UB40 is an inspired choice.
They’re the perfect fit.
Not only are they locals but they also represent the cultural diversity of the city, of the country, and the Commonwealth.
Champion is a celebration of the games, of individual and collective achievement, and of Birmingham itself.
The song is both aspirational and inspirational, it’s about finding what you’re good at, setting your goals and performing to the best of your ability.
The publicity material that accompanied the song explained it this way:
“While Champion could refer to almost any form of competition, there is accompanying rap from Gilly G that specifically references and champions our city of Birmingham and… from Dapz On The Maps which talks about the mind set and approach needed to be the number one champion.”
The city of Birmingham has come a long way since I first visited it some 40 years ago, in those days it was very run down and had a reputation as being dangerous for tourists.
We were even warned that it was unsafe to leave the central bus station unless by vehicle.
As I had a habit of ignoring authoritative advice in those days, I decided to do what I always did and walk into the centre of town.
No one accosted me but most of the buildings I passed were burnt or otherwise damaged.
Racial tension was high throughout many of the major cities at the time and I often found myself drawn to the black areas of town, by the music, but also in solidarity with the people.
I was often viewed with suspicion but mostly accepted when they heard my accent.
They still wanted to know why I was there and some suggested that it’d be better if I left, however, overall, I found the people to be warm and friendly.
UB40 take their name from the Unemployment Benefits form, and in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain, particularly amongst the black communities (and miners), many people were doing it tough.
Reggae was the musical backdrop to my experience and UB40 were not only top of the charts, they were also stretching out a hand across the racial divide.
As I said they are an inspired choice as ambassadors.
