Jamaican reggae group Third World is back in the Aloha State, with shows through this evening at the Blue Note. Stephen "Cat" Coore, the group leader, guitarist and occassional cellist, took time for a conversation, and performance, with HPR All Things Considered Host Dave Lawrence, in the Atherton Performing Arts Studio.
Cat is an unusual person, with parents whose scholarly backgrounds combined to give him an early start at music and music education. In both the advance phone interview and follow-up studio interview and performance , Cat provides details into his parents' fascinating background - both earned scholarships to study abroad, meeting in college in Montreal and having critical education experiences in the UK - and how his mother played an important role introducing him to music.
He detailed the way his own musical career has intersected with Bob Marley and some of Bob's children, the collaboration with Stevie Wonder that would yield a monster hit, connections to Hawaii, remembrances of members who've passed on, and many other stories over two interviews included in this post.
MORE THIRD WORLD:
See the complete HPR All Things Considered interview / performance session in the Atherton:
Download or stream the complete audio for the Atherton Studio appearance:
Download or stream the complete 2018 advance phone interview, with details of Cat's very special parents and early years:
See a classic 2012 video interview with late Third World singer Bunny Rugs Clarke:
Hear a classic 2011 interview with Cat: