Dreamland’s Summer Concert Series opens this Friday night with the annual return of dancehall-reggae pioneer Barrington Levy.
Best known for his rangey scat vocals, exuberant dress, and call-and-response style crowd interaction, the now 49-year-old Levy promises the same youthful energy he possessed when he came onto the reggae scene at age 14.
While many of Levy’s recorded tracks feature DJs and the digital sounds indicative of dancehall and reggae-fusion, the artist typically performs live with a small band, creating a more intimate sound that showcases his vocal talents.
Since he was awarded Best Vocalist in the 1984 British Reggae Awards, Levy’s star status was cemented in the U.K., and especially in his home country of Jamaica. That year, he entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the first reggae artist to hold both the first and second place slots in the charts. Levy is also well-known for his collaborations with popular American artists such as Snoop Dogg (now reggae performer Snoop Lion), Long Beach Dub All Stars (formerly of Sublime), and Slightly Stoopid. If Friday night holds true to Barrington Levy fashion, visitors to Dreamland can expect original hits, interspersed with innovative spins on classic reggae numbers.
Doors open at 9 pm. $25; VIP packages available at dreamlandconcerts.com. For more information, call 617-935-2250.
