‘More Ska’ as Stranger Cole heads to Australia on tour
Published:Tuesday | September 2, 2025 | 12:09 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Australia is calling again and foundation singer, Stranger Cole, is ready to pack his bags and go. On December 5, the ska, rocksteady and reggae pioneer will kick off the first in a series of six concerts which will see him performing at venues in Margaret River, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney.
The Rough and Tough singer, whose real name is Wilburn Theodore Cole, has performed in Australia several times throughout the years, but this is the first time that he will be there for an extended visit.
“I went to Australia like every two years in the past 15 years. I’ve done concerts and even recorded in Australia too ... I have a song with Australian group, Ska Vendors that we did in 2022. This time, I’m going to do everything. My show dates are December 5, 6, 12, 13, 14 and the last show in on the 19th in Sydney and then I return home to Jamaica,” an upbeat Stranger Cole told The Gleaner.
The original song with Ska Vendors is titled More Ska, just like the name of his December tour of Down Under. He and the group also recorded a second song, a cover of Singer Man, a song written and originally recorded by Derrick Harriott and Clive Bernard.
Stranger Cole is looking forward to spending three weeks with his fans in Australia, a place which holds fond memories.
“They love the music down there ... ska, reggae, everything. Australia is one of my places. I have many others like Japan, Germany, South America and Mexico where they are excited about our music. But Australia is definitely one of them.”
He added, “The flight to get there can be long ... too long. Yuh sleep and wake up and sleep again, but I’m not complaining. I remember as a young boy growing up, I always dreamed of taking a plane to visit other countries and sing my songs for the people there. That time, I wasn’t even thinking too much about the money, it was the opportunity. I get the chance to do that and I have been doing just that for so many decades. And to know at my age I am still doing what I love ... so I give thanks,” the octogenarian said.
Born in Jones Town in Kingston, Stranger grew up in Trench Town and started his career as a song-writer and later took centrestage as a singer, making his first hit in 1962 with the Duke Reid-produced Rough and Tough. He would go on to find success and fame as a solo artiste and also doing duets, especially as the duo Stranger and Patsy.
“In the early days me and Patsy Todd had plenty number one songs. We recorded songs like When You Call My Name ... which was very big ... Hey Little Girl, Oh Oh I Need You, Tom Dick & Harry, Yeah Yeah Baby, Miss B and I’ll Forgive You ... Down the Trainline ... nuff tunes. And right now, I have songs with another lady named Patsy. This is a German Patsy. We did an EP and the title of it is Royal,” Stranger shared.
Another EP which Stranger released this year is titled More Life, but it was aimed at the European market. And, speaking of Europe, the troubadour will be in Spain for two weeks in October “for about three gigs”.
“I go and perform because I love to make people happy,” said a satisfied Stranger Cole.
His More Ska Australia tour gets underway on Friday, December 5 at The River in Margaret’s River and also features Red’s Tribe and DJ Mohair Slim. Other venues include Lynott’s Lounge, Perth; Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane; Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne; Jive Bar, Adelaide and Paddo RSL, Sydney.