Recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmy Cliff, brought his lively roots reggae on Sunday to a full crowd at Central Park’s Summer Stage. Dressed in Rastafarian red and yellow, Cliff delivered an energetic selection of tunes that spanned his movie catalog, “The Harder They Come,” the title track from his starring role in the film of the same name, and the 1993 hit-version “I Can See Clearly Now” from “Cool Runnings.” Other highlights of the show included a cover of Cat Steven’s “Wild World” and an acoustic and percussive-only singalong of “Rivers of Babylon.”

“The Harder They Come”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeF_LRw4uOA

“I Can See Clearly Now”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeF_LRw4uOA

Amidst rain and sun showers, Cliff told stories of his childhood in the Jamaican countryside, living with nature, and drinking from springs which “were cooler than the refrigerator.” Water and sun is the “energy that we need to utilize today,” he said before leading the audience in a chant to “save our planet earth,” and changing the words from his 1969 single “Vietnam” to “Afghanistan.”

Summer Stage, celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, will offer 33 free concerts and 8 benefits to the concert-going public this season. Make sure to check their website for a complete show lineup.