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Publishing ~ Artists & Writers

Barrington Levy

Photograph of Barrington Levy, Dancehall Musician, Jamaica

 

For over three decades Barrington Levy has been a dominant force in reggae music. One of the originators of the dancehall style, the legendary, award-winning Levy continues to perform and record on the international stage.

His long and illustrious career dates back to his first single in 1977 at the age of 13. Since then, he’s achieved number one singles and albums around the world, and transforming the genre along the way. Born in 1964 in Clarendon, Jamaica, Levy formed his first band, the Mighty Multitude in 1976 and released the single "My Black Girl," which drew crowds to the dancehalls. Upon partnering with producers Henry "Junjo" Lawes and Hyman "Jah Life" Wright he gained notoriety. Levy went on to record a number of singles at the legendary Channel One studios, including "Ah Yah We Deh," "Shine Eye Gal," "Looking My Love" and the smash hit "Collie Weed." The singles were later collected and released on his successful debut albums in both the US and UK.

In the early 1980s Barrington’s career went extra broader than broad!  His UK albums Englishman and Robin Hood, with the powerful singles "Sister Carol," and "Look Youthman," affirmed his status as a reggae superstar. In 1984, he teamed up with producer Jah Screw to release two hit singles, "Under Mi Sensi," which spent twelve weeks at the top of the UK charts, and hit big in the US. Anyone who knows and loves reggae music recognizes this timeless classic. And the unforgettable single, "Here I Come (Broader Than Broadway)," which features the distinctive, melismatic yodel– "skiddly- waddily- iddily- diddly- diddly- whoa-oa-oh"—that has become the trademark of Levy's unique and expressive vocal style. So it was no surprise when Levy took home the Best Vocalist Award at Britain's Reggae Music Awards in 1984.

But Barrington Levy likes to share the spotlight. Known for his predilection to work with other artists, he has taken part in many widely successful collaborations. In the early 90s, he released Duets, an album featuring remixes of his hits by Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Cutty Ranks and Lady Saw. His 1998 album, Living Dangerously, featured Snoop Dog and the California punk-reggae band Long Beach Dub All-Stars. He recorded two tracks for Bad Boy rapper Shyne's 2000 self-titled album, including the debut single "Bad Boyz." Handsome Boy Modeling School recruited Levy for a track on their 2005 album, White People, which found him singing alongside the Del the Funkee Homosapien (of Gorillaz fame) and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand. Shaggy sampled "Here I Come (Broader Than Broadway)" for a track on his own critically acclaimed 2005 album, Clothes Drop. Check out his newest release “Times Hard” featuring Jadakisss.  
 
Barrington Levy has inspired countless artists and musicians during his extraordinary career and is widely respected throughout the world. He continues to record and perform in Jamaica, North America, Europe and Asia.

Check out Barrington Levy on MY SPACE!

Website: www.barringtonlevy.net