Shaggy, whose real name is Richard Burrell, performed 19 selections with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in his show “Mr. Symphonic” by rapping and singing. The Heinz Hall audience was enthralled with it.
Shaggy greeted the crowd following “Mood,” the show’s brisk opening. “This is all new to me, so I’m going to feel my way through.”
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“Boombastic,” one of his first hits, was then delivered, “What I’m going to do tonight is I’m going to take you on a journey through Jamaican music. I should say Caribbean music, because Caribbean music has a lot of influence on pop culture.”
In 1996, the song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s difficult to see this song being orchestrated while listening to the studio version, but it sounded quite opulent when played via so many instruments. Drummer Shaun Courie Darson was having a great time, nearly as much as Shaggy, who strutted, shook, and swaggered around the stage.
In 1996, the song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s difficult to see this song being orchestrated while listening to the studio version, but it sounded quite opulent when played via so many instruments. Drummer Shaun Courie Darson was having a great time, nearly as much as Shaggy, who strutted, shook, and swaggered around the stage.
His three grooving support vocalists truly found their rhythm on “Oh Carolina” and the next song, “I Need Your Love.” Shaggy’s call-and-response vocals with his unique accent were accentuated by Tamara Barnes, Carl Lee Scharschmidt, and Amber Lee.
The set list had a few shocks, but ultimately everything made sense. Shaggy related a tale about how, when traveling to Norway, the one and only Sting pushed him to Caribbean-ify Sinatra before he sang the iconic Frank Sinatra song “That’s Life” with amazing flair and sorrow. Shaggy and Sting worked together on the 2018 album “44/876,” which won a Grammy Award. The orchestra’s energetic horn section played a major role in the upbeat rendition of “That’s Life.”
He sang “A Love I Can Feel” and “Strength of a Woman,” two popular crowd-pleasers that showcased his butter-smooth vocals and some delicate melodies from the woodwinds, bringing artists Yellowman and Toots and the Maytals (the latter a favorite of his grandmother) to the forefront with a pair of songs. Prior to performing the song “Strength of a Woman,” Shaggy called attention to the fact that March is Women’s History Month and waved to his mother-in-law and wife.
Presenting his 2001 Billboard number one single, “Angel,” Shaggy discussed how he hybridized rock, R&B, and Caribbean music to get his songs aired on the radio. “We did that with this particular song, we took Juice Newton, ‘Angel of the Morning,’ and Steve Miller’s ‘The Joker.’ ”
It was difficult to hear Scharschmidt’s stunning vocal performance above the singing from the seats as the crowd went crazy during “Angel.” However, the horns and drums would not be disregarded.
Under flaming orange lights, Shaggy rapped quickly throughout “Luv Me Luv Me,” while the audience clapped in time. With its flawless mixing of all the orchestral elements and the rambling backing vocals, “Keepin’ It Real” was the night’s high point.
After that, there was a dramatic change with the powerful song “Why Me Lord?” which had dark horns, menacing woodwinds, and Shaggy’s voice growing increasingly desperate as the drums throbbed to an elevated conclusion.
He also discussed the third of Bob Marley’s Wailers’ main members, Peter Tosh. He claimed that he was a rebel. “This is one of my favorites of his.” He played “Buk-In-Hamm Palace,” He performed “Buk-In-Hamm Palace,” which had a dancey disco vibe and featured a xylophone solo.
I never would have thought Shaggy and Bill Withers were related, but it made perfect sense when he started singing in his deep patois and the well-known bass rhythm of “Ain’t No Sunshine” began. The violin and Shaggy’s anguished vocals—he’s quite good at expressing emotion with his voice—were highlighted in the melancholy song.
He performed another well-known song, “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant from 1982, after “Church Heathen.” Adding, “This brother is a Caribbean legend. We pay tribute to him because he was one of the first to actually own all of his intellectual property and to own all his own masters.”
A trilling flute that naturally took the place of synthesizers and vibrant stage lights allowed PSO to successfully adapt this song, which may have seemed too electronic for an orchestral context.
At the big finale, everyone was standing and belting out the 2000 No. 1 smash song “It Wasn’t Me,” and there was never any doubt as to what Shaggy would do. Dancing around onstage while the orchestra played the gentle yet dramatic melody of the infidelity hymn, he was having the time of his life. As Shaggy wished the crowd a good night and thanked the musicians, I can’t imagine a single face in the entire hall not smiling.
They were deserving of gratitude. Under Moon Doh’s skillful direction, the musicians performed flawlessly on every song. Shaggy and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra went above and beyond with their presentation because of their creative arrangements, a wealth of fascinating information, and an odd but enjoyable fusion of songs and history.
