Barrington Levy LIVE

“What is for you on this earth
No one can take it
Cause a Jah Jah create it…” Barrington Levy, A Fi Yuh

It was the early 90s that I first heard Barrington Levy. I lived in California and my best friend lived in New York. We would send each other tapes in the mail to stay in touch, sometimes recording ourselves and other times recording music from our local radio stations. One day, she sent me a DJ set that included “Here I Come (Broader Than Broadway)”. The tape was my introduction to dancehall and that song was rewound and replayed until the tape wore out. Given how much reggae music has figured in my life and photographic career since then, it’s surprising that it would take over 30 years for me to have an opportunity to see the mellow canary live. You would never guess that it had been that long. His voice is as clear and strong as ever and his energy contagious. With a mix of his classics and new songs, Levy had the sold out audience at Cornerstone Berkeley amped and singing along the whole night.

I’m honored to have been able to capture the experience for Backayard and look forward to the next time. By popular demand, the legend will be returning to Cornerstone for a second show on July 13. Catch him there or wherever you can for the remainder of his tour.