BROWN TAKES GOLD AT L.A. REGGAE FEST

Organizers of Sunday’s L.A. International Reggae Festival at Cal State Dominguez Hills’ Olympic Velodrome certainly found a new way to keep the crowd of about 3,500 entertained between bands: high-speed bicycle races. This wasn’t as unlikely as it might sound, considering the concert was staged at the site of the 1984 Olympic cycling competition.

Racing aside, the festival was an entertaining affair highlighted by headliner Dennis Brown’s stirring set. From the moment Brown hit the stage, he cut a striking figure, grinning broadly while bounding about nonstop . . . his long dreadlocks flying in all directions.

Brown, the so-called Crown Prince of Reggae, projected endless energy and charisma. But he’s not just show. Brown sings in a rich, soulful tenor, boasting a plaintive urgency that was equally effective whether the songs involved romance or social commentary.

One measure of how much difference a gifted singer and commanding presence can make: Brown’s performance galvanized not only the audience, but also the fine band supporting him, Lloyd Parkes & We the People. Before his arrival--and backed by the same outfit--Jimmy Riley and Parkes himself had turned in unexceptional performances, largely because they’re unexceptional singers.

On the other hand, before Riley--and after the last bike race--Ini Kamoze proved himself a distinctive and expressive vocal stylist, slicing right through the thick, propulsive riddims set up by his crack quartet. Like Brown, Kamoze also came across as a highly dynamic, engaging performer and versatile songwriter, suggesting the rail-thin singer has the potential to become a prominent reggae figure.