His is one of the most recognizable artists in reggae music and tomorrow night, for the first time, Barrington Levy will share his trademark vocals and all time reggae anthems with a Belizean audience. And over a 25 year musical career, there have been many enduring anthems including "under mi sensi," "murderah", "shine eye gial", "broader than broadway", "l_iving dangerously_" and "vice-versa love". Indeed, he's got a catalogue that shames many lesser talents, and today he spoke to Jules Vasquez frankly about the current state of reggae music where the line between art and artificial is too thin.
Jules Vasquez,
How easy would that be for you or how much would that facilitate your reaching out to the audience knowing that they know your songs and they speak your language?
Barrington Levy,
"Well sometimes I am in say France or Spain where they don't speak English so its just Spanish and different languages and I can see non-English speaking people just can just vibe, singing word for word and giving off good vibes. I am looking forward to these people, these people look like a very happy people."
Jules Vasquez,
How hard is it to maintain in an industry where one hit wonders are everywhere and it seems as if senior artists are thought of as disposable by the younger artists? How hard is it for a man of your prominence and stature to maintain in that cutthroat environment?
Barrington Levy,
"Well I think good music will always live. I mean I know that you have a lot of disposable right now but good music will always live and, put it this way, I am true to music, this is all I know, and thank God I've come in the music business when real people was playing music. Like now everyday is into the computer and the fake this and the fake that. I'm still real. When I was coming in this business as a kid, I came with my heart and my heart is with it same way today. Maybe that is why I'm still in it because when I came into the business I wasn't thinking about money and all that, 'if I do this song it will reach around the world.' I just did it because I feel it basically, that's it."
Barrington and the Detour Posse perform tomorrow night at the City Centre.
