Excitement is in the air as Cinnamon Life’s Colombo Music Festival 2018 is just a week away! 

Themed ‘Caribbean Night’ the music festival promises an unforgettable event with 10 hours of nonstop entertainment courtesy of reggae-fusion and dancehall legends Diana King, Shaggy, Maxi Priest and Big Mountain who are all set to light the stage on fire on the 18th of August at the Havelock Sports Club grounds. Among the headliners for the event are Big Mountain, an American band best known for its remake of Peter Frampton's "Baby, I Love Your Way", which became a top 10 hit single in the US in early 1994, reaching No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the Mainstream Top 40 and No. 2 in the UK. The band was known for taking a more commercialised version of Jamaican music to the American mainstream in the early ‘90s. The Daily Mirror Life caught up with Quino from Big Mountain in an exclusive email interview. Here’s the scoop.

1) As a band, Big Mountain has seen a number of members leave and eventually replaced. How do you manage to continue to exist as a band with such huge changes taking place? Surely, building rapport among members is time consuming?   

Big Mountain organization is a large network of highly talented Reggae musicians that are like one big family.  Just about everyone that has performed in Big Mountain since 1992 to present are all friends with each other up. Big Mountain is blessed to have such a great organization of Reggae musicians.

2) You have also had considerable success on pop charts. Tell us a little bit about it. 

The first original single was titled "Touch My Light". This single launched the Big Mountain networkofsuper star Reggae musicians into International fame. Following the TML single was then followed up South of the equator with the single "Reggae Inna Summertime",  and, simultaneous in Johannesburg, South Africa, Big Mountain's song "Peaceful Revolution", as the anthem for the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, gained traction on the major FM radio stations and became a short lived radio radio hit. By 1994 there was a growing curiosity and unity within the Reggae music scene about this group of Reggae musicians called Big Mountain. Then in March of 1994 RCA Records released the single "Baby I Love Your Way" by Big Mountain and this single took of the entire planet

Baby I Love Your Way surrounded the earth like gravity.  Following "Baby I Love Your Way"  "Sweet Sensual Love" took Big Mountain into Top 10 on the Pop radio charts in Spain and Japan. The follow up album titled Resistance had three regional hit singles, "Get Together" went to Top 5 in Brazil and Norway, "Caribbean Blue" is a major hit single South of the equator and "Where Do The Children Play" did well throughout Europe and United Arab Emirates.  Following the Resistance came the Free Up album, containing the single "All Kinds Of People" gained Top 40 radio traction in Austria, Norway and Mumbai India.

3) If you were to switch genres, which one would you pick?

That is a very difficult question to answer. I have never thought about that I would probably go harder edge political Roots Reggae. 

4) Musically, who have you been inspired by?  

Many artists. The top three that come to mind is Bob Marley,  Freddie McGregor and Frankie Paul.

5) Who are some current artists you've been listening to? Anyone in particular whose music you enjoy?

I listen to most all of the new artists. I love hearing what is going on today.

6) What are some of your favorite memories from your long career? 

There are way too many favorite memories to list one, or even ten. Every world tour is a great experience.

7) You have enjoyed longevity in your career. What do you credit that to?

Putting out lyrics that make people feel enlightened and quality musical arrangements.

8) What is something no one knows about you? 

I sometimes get cravings for blueberries and late at night, and chocolate.

9) What can your Sri Lankan fans expect at the Colombo Music Festival this August?

A fun-loving Reggae party Big Mountain style.

10) Anything new in the pipeline?

You can follow Big Mountain on Spotify to be the first to hear new releases from Big Mountain.

To buy your tickets visit http://www.cinnamonboxoffice.com  or call 071 711 811 

Cinnamon Life presents Colombo Music Festival 2018 is in association with SundayTimes, Daily Mirror, Daily FT, Life online, Daily Mirror.lk, Hi Magazine and HI TV.

Date – 18th August 2018
Time – 3 pm – 11.59pm
Venue – Havelock Sports Club Grounds, 10, Park Lane, Colombo, 5