OF the many show bands that emerged in Jamaica during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Inner Circle are among the handful still active.

Formed in 1968, the sextet is led by brothers and co-founders Roger and Ian Lewis. This year, their ‘One Love Reggae Revolution Tour’ was seen by over one million fans.

The jaunt kicked off July 13 in Berlin, Germany, and played throughout Europe, the United States and Latin America. Inner Circle’s last shows were in Peru and Mexico last month.

Long tours, even by major rock bands, are no longer the norm due to economic challenges for promoters.

Ian Lewis, during an interview with the Jamaica Observer in September, credited social media with keeping Inner Circle on the road.

“Through Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram we have gathered a new source of fans,” he said. Keyboardist Bernard ‘Touter’ Harvey, guitarist Michael Sterling, singer Trevor Bonnick, and drummer Lancelot Hall are the other members of Inner Circle which thrived with singer Jacob Miller in the 1970s. Miller died in a motor accident in 1980.

Tired Fi Lick Weed In A Bush and Tenement Yard, songs they did with Miller, plus their 1990s comeback songs Bad Boys and Sweat, have made Inner Circle reggae’s most vibrant brand.

The band has also won a new generation of fans through collaborations with neo-roots acts like Chronixx and Kabaka Pyramid.