Formed in London, England by Benjahmin Benjahman (b. Patrick Polidore, 10 March 1963, St. Lucia, West Indies) as a five-piece band with a varying line-up. Wisdom came together in the early 80s and initially supported artists such as, Clint Eastwood And General Saint, Jah Thomas, Smiley Culture and Dennis Brown. The band was also a regular feature at London’s annual Notting Hill carnival. In 1982, the Wisdom line-up had settled as a trio with Marcus Million (b. Wayne Dowden, 18 August 1963, Grenada, West Indies; vocals) and Sista Maureen (b. Maureen Dowe, 12 July 1963, London, England; vocals), together with the band’s founder. Soon after the trio had established stability, they became one of the first reggae acts to perform in East Berlin before the demise of the Berlin Wall. In 1986, the band was invited to tour Ghana alongside Musical Youth. Five years later Wisdom released their debut, Sign Of The Times. The resulting wider exposure included an invitation to support Bunny Wailer’s UK debut at the Brixton Academy. By the early 90s Wisdom were regularly performing in Europe, including a notable appearance at the Volkhause in Switzerland. Their full-blown tour of Ghana was a first, as their contemporaries would usually play a one-off show in the nation’s capital Accra. The band also supported Shabba Ranks while he performed in Ghana.
Now with over 20 years together, the band’s high profile continued into the new millennium with the release of Who Feels It. The album demonstrated an enhanced sound and ‘Black Woman’, ‘Passing Through’ and the title track went a long way towards earning the band a place in reggae history.
