Reggae legends Third World packed the New Hazlett Theater on the North Side for a classic concert of great music.
Third World is a band from Jamaica that performs disco, R&B, Bossa Nova, light pop-jazz and many other forms of music, but their claim to fame is Reggae.
“We have had so many influences in our lives like James Brown, our parents introduced classical music when we were young, we grew up with a sense that music is just music regardless who it comes from,” said one of its founders Richard Daley.
The Hazlett Theater was filled with all the seats taken and some people standing to see and hear the sounds of the Third World band. Towards the end of the concert the group called for people to go ahead and dance and that’s what they did. They came down to the front of the stage and danced during the last three or four songs and the encore set.
The whole crowd sang along to songs like “96 Degrees” and “We Found Love” as well as other songs from Third World.
Daley was 22 years old in 1973 when the group started.
“I didn’t even have the capacity to think that far ahead, we just lived for the moment then,” Daily said. The band having hundreds of songs on countless albums to list Daley said. “You have dreams and ambitions man, I couldn’t say at the time or foretell that we would have the success that we have had, and we are ever grateful everyday that we get to play another show.”
The group has a new record coming out soon with Damon Marley producing.
Kente Arts Alliance is responsible for bringing Third World into Pittsburgh and many other well known groups. Kente will be having other performances by The Lark Whitfield Family Band and the Mark Strickland Quartet on March 11 and Terell Stafford Quintet featuring Tim Warfield on April 29.
Gail Austin, managing director of Kente Arts, said, “It’s a real pleasure bringing in all these artists from all over the world and from the African Diaspora.”
(To see who the Kenta Arts is bringing into Pittsburgh and what else they do you can follow them at kentearts.org.)
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