An Irish Singer Performs a Show of Classic Reggae
An Irish Singer Performs a Show of Classic Reggae
For a woman who tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on live television, Sinead O’Connor is downright devout. Her faith now is Rastafarianism, the Jamaican creed that brought righteousness to reggae.
Ms. O’Connor’s latest album, “Throw Down Your Arms” (That’s Why There’s Chocolate and Vanilla), is a collection of songs by reggae patriarchs like Burning Spear, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, the Abyssinians and Lee Perry. Like a convert making a pilgrimage, she recorded the album in Kingston, Jamaica, with the eminent reggae producers Sly and Robbie: Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespeare on bass.