Reggae legend Beres Hammond, appearing at the Reichhold Center for the Arts on March 3, has been wowing audiences for nearly 30 years with his aching old-school love songs. Starting out with soul-tinged covers a la Jerry Butler, he moved into hardcore reggae in the 1980s and has been delivering messages of One Love and booty-shaking ever since.
Hammond has graced a wide variety of reggae tracks with his smoky-sweet voice over his career. From funky reggae jams to lush arrangements and the spare digital beat of his 1985 dancehall breakthrough, "What One Dance Can Do," Hammond has remained a vital presence in the reggae world, collaborating with such artists as Maxi Priest, Buju Banton, and Wyclef Jean of the Fugees.
Over the past few years, Hammond has been recording in his home studio, including the tracks that make up his latest CD, "Music is Life," recorded with the likes of Flabba Holt and Style Scott of the Roots Radics, onetime backing band for reggae great Gregory Isaacs. His Reichhold appearance is virtually guaranteed to be a sing-along, dance-in-the-aisles affair.
Local talents Naomi and Bruniyah will open for Hammond.
"Naomi and Bruniyah are fine young Virgin Islanders who are extremely talented. Sharing the stage with a world-famous entertainer is an excellent opportunity to showcase their abilities," said David Edgecombe, Reichhold director .
Naomi is a rising star from the Virgin Islands talent pool. Presently residing in Baltimore, she has won several performing arts awards and recently launched her debut CD, "Naomi," for which she penned all of the tunes, including the lead single, "Happy."
Dwight "Bruniyah" Bruney, a STARfest alumnus, is known to the territory for his melodic reggae style of singing which mirrors Hammond's. Bruniyah was the winner of Reichhold's recent Talent Search contest. He will be performing an original composition.
The Reichhold concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the following ticket outlets: Modern Music (all locations), Krystal Gifts Galore (Tutu Park Mall), Parrot Fish (Back Street), UVI Bookstore (St. Thomas Campus) and Connections (St. John).