COURTESY OF DESTARR COMMUNICATIONS
After more than a decade away from the spotlight, Arrested Development returns with original members Speech, left, Baba Oje, Montsho Eshe and Rasa Don.
Reggae revival
Arrested Development overcomes its demons
Of all the headlining acts performing at Sunday's fest at the Waikiki Shell, the reformed Arrested Development has the most to prove.
'2003 Summer Jam'
Featuring Maxi-Priest, Eek-A-Mouse and Arrested DevelopmentWhere: Waikiki Shell
When: 4 p.m. Sunday
Tickets: $15 to $25
Call: 591-2211
Local reggae fans know about regular visitors Maxi-Priest and Eek-A-Mouse. But a hip-hop band that hasn't been around for more than a decade?
If a test show in Madison, Wisconsin is any indication -- one that reportedly drew around 15,000 -- "people are ready to hear us again," said leadman Speech, who with percussionist Rasa Don and singer / dancer Montsho Eshe, joined in a brief conference call from their rehearsal space in Georgia Tuesday.
Arrested Development last performed in Hawaii during the height of their popularity. Their album "3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of ..." with the hit single "Tennessee" was well on its way to multi-million sales, buoyed by the later single releases of "People Everyday" (a nod to Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People") and "Mr. Wendal." AD won a couple of Grammys for their efforts, contributed the track "Revolution" to Spike Lee's movie on Malcolm X, and even released a "MTV Unplugged" album.
But the dizzying success AD reaped took its toll. First, singer Dionne Farris left for a solo career that brought her one big hit, "I Know." The MTV album came out to criticism that the band didn't have enough longevity and a repertoire to warrant such an album, and the next studio album "Zingalamaduni," suffered the sophomore jinx with both critics and fans.
The band broke up in 1996 but tried to regroup in 2001, only to end up unsuccessful.
Now, after Speech has done a couple of solo and side projects (his second solo album, "Hoopla," is scheduled to come out sometime in July), whatever personal differences and hurt feelings bandmates have felt have finally been set aside, so much so that the reformed Arrested Development have just finished a new album called "The Heroes of the Harvest."
And expect to hear some of that album's material, plus a generous helping of the old faves, in the band's set this Sunday.
"While we've all been working on our own, different projects," Speech said, "we've definitely focused our energies behind this band. We'll be spending a couple of days in Hawaii during our concert stay, and then head back to the States to start our U.S. tour.
"We're back to creating, producing and writing with each other," Eshe said. "I did a lot of the dancing with the band back then, and now I'm doing vocals and Baba (Oje, their elder spiritual advisor) is doing spoken word."
"And a single from the new album will be out within a month," Don added. "It's our version of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin' On,' that'll include guest contributions from Alexander O'Neal and J.Lo."
Newer AD members that'll be introduced in concert will be turntablist DJ Machete X, bassist Za, and vocalist and dancer Nicha.
And even though the sound of urban R&B and hip-hop has changed since AD's heyday, Speech promises that "our new material will have a very contemporary sound."
"Today's audience will be so refreshed to hear Arrested Development again because we offer other musical directions in our sound that the people haven't heard so much lately." (For more info on Speech and AD, check out the Web site speechmusic.com.)
"We're excited to come back to Hawaii," Eshe said. "We're ready to seize the crowd and have a great show."
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