Beshara

Beshara was a British reggae band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1976, best known for their 1981 lovers rock hit "Men Cry Too", which reached number 2 on the British reggae charts. The original line-up included Elias Pharoah, Ray Watts (aka Ray Beshara), Dixie Pinnock, Errol Nanton, and Michael Nanton. Initially performing under the names Cool Dimension and The Kushites, they adopted the name Beshara in 1979, which means "surprise" in Arabic and "mystical" in Swahili. By 1980, the band’s core consisted of Ray Watts (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Dixie Pinnock (drums, backing vocals), Michael Nanton (keyboards, backing vocals), and Tony Garfield (bass, vocals). Their first national radio airplay came via John Peel, who featured their single "When You’re Wrong" on BBC Radio 1.

Throughout the 1980s, Beshara built a strong reputation performing across the UK, appealing to multicultural audiences, and influencing acts like Musical Youth. While they never released a full album during their initial run, their singles—including "Glory Glory", "Men Cry Too", and "Shadow of Love"—were chart successes. They also gained TV exposure on shows like Rockers Roadshow, Black on Black, and Here & Now, and contributed to BBC dramas and documentaries, with their song "United" later covered by Pato Banton as "United We Stand". The band won the Hummingbird Black Music Award in 1987 for Best Sound Recording and toured extensively with reggae icons including UB40, Beres Hammond, Dennis Brown, and Alton Ellis.

Beshara disbanded in 1992 but reunited in 1998 to begin work on their debut album. After Ray Watts died in 2000, the group could not continue as before, though they organized tribute concerts in his memory and collaborated with other Birmingham artists. Former members Steve Morrison and Michael Nanton went on to form the Reggae Revolution band, backing major artists and contributing to Grammy-nominated albums. Beshara’s legacy was celebrated in documentaries such as Made in Birmingham: Reggae, Punk, Bhangra (2010) and BBC Four’s Reggae Britannia (2011), and they occasionally reunited for tribute performances, keeping their influence in UK reggae alive.