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SCMP Reporter

Several thousand people from ethnic minorities descended on Kowloon Park last weekend for the only handover event dedicated to Hong Kong's non-Chinese and non-British populations.

 Those present, most of whom Filipinos, were entertained with game and food stalls and an impressive line-up of international artists.

 Asian Extravaganza 97 featured the likes of British pop duo Bananarama, Scandinavians Freebee and South African Mango Groove. Also on the bill for the Extravaganza and lined up to play at Media Bank's 'Celebrate Hong Kong 1997' concert yesterday were the charismatic British Jamaican duo Saint & Campbell.

 This DJ'ing and singing pair of General Saint and Don Campbell achieved some chart success in Britain and Europe with their 1994 remake of Neil Sedaka's Oh Carol, the idea for which was the impetus that brought these two musicians together.

 Jamaican-born Saint moved to Britain in 1977 and, using his DJ abilities, achieved chart success as a solo artist.

 'I had this idea in 1993 of doing Oh Carol and I needed a singer to make it sound original.

 'I knew Don [Campbell] but he wasn't in my head to do it until I heard the track See It In Your Eyes.

 'It was number one in the radio charts in England. The moment I heard his voice, I knew I wanted to work with him. He and his manager agreed. The rest is history,' Saint said.

 It is somewhat surprising that Sedaka - a performer still considered one of the 1970s' premier lounge singers - would serve as a catalyst for these two musicians.

 'The original version actually almost sounds reggae, we didn't change it much. When a song sounds the way Oh Carol does, there were not too many changes we needed to make musically,' Saint said.

 'It was very easy to transform into a reggae sound. The early years of reggae in Jamaica, they used to listen to Neil Sedaka, Drifters. We were inspired by old-time American soul stars. Sedaka even complimented us on it, we felt we had achieved something.'  With the success of the first release, which sold over a million copies worldwide, the duo went on to release their debut album, Time On the Move.

 But, even when they return to their solo projects, they are still very much a pair, making appearances on each other's projects: Saint's new album, Return of the Saint, and Campbell's forthcoming solo album.

 The British duo are one of many reggae acts to come out of Britain in the past few years; Britain has a more prolific reggae scene than the United States, having successfully exported the likes of Aswad, Shaggy and Chaka Demus and Pliers, all of whom have achieved considerable popularity in Asia.

 'A lot of Jamaicans moved to England in the early 1960s, they carried the music with them. They established reggae music in England long before it became popular in the US, and that's why we have more appeal in the UK and Europe,' Saint said. 'But it is working magically in the US right now: a lot of reggae acts are making into the Billboard charts.'  Although they hail from the British reggae scene, they are reluctant to compare themselves with other British reggae artists.

 'We don't have the British reggae sound,' asserted Saint. Campbell elaborated: 'We produce our own sound. Even the covers, it's a different arrangement, we inject our own style into it.'  The pair have often been likened to Chaka Demus and Pliers, the DJ-and-singing combo that achieved great success in 1993 with Murder She Wrote, a comparison to which they are extremely averse.

 'We make completely different records, we perform differently from Chaka Demus and Pliers, and we've got different attitudes. We're different people,' Saint said.

 The duo believe it is this quality that has made them popular worldwide. 'Out of all the British reggae artists, besides Aswad and Maxi Priest, we travel and tour more than most other British reggae artists.

 'We're making a different kind of music, it's appealing to everybody. We're not getting the major radio play, but it is working,' Saint said.

 Being reggae musicians, the pair were strongly influenced by the king of reggae, Bob Marley. 'I haven't listened to an artist who can write songs like Bob Marley, you can't get a better influence than that. I don't wish to be as big as Bob Marley, but we want to carry on where he left off,' Saint said.

 Although grounded in the reggae sound, the pair are influenced by a number of musical genres, including rhythm 'n' blues and rock. 'We want to appeal to a lot of people, especially people on this side of the world. We want them to listen to what we're doing, which is why we did a lot of covers. But it's the originals that are doing really well,' Saint said.

 Despite their success in Britain and Europe, the duo were initially surprised by the positive response they have received from Asian audiences. Before playing in Hong Kong, Saint & Campbell toured Malaysia and Thailand. 'We don't have a big album as such, but the vibes we got from people were amazing,' Saint said.

 Signed to Media Bank records, they hope to do projects with some of the other artists on the label. Saint has already spoken to Freebee's manager about taking that band over to Jamaica.

 'We try to fusion the music and make it work in different areas. We have to do that, it's the only way the music will expand in Asia,' Saint said.

Celebrate Hong Kong 1997, July 5, 4.30pm. $297, $597 and $997 from Tom Lee music outlets or call 183-3308 



Rhythm heard across the seas