The Itals, a Grammy-nominated Jamaican vocal group known for their classic reggae harmonies and socially conscious lyrics is one of the best known roots reggae bands on the scene. They have recorded and toured continuously for the last 35 years, keeping the sound and spirit of roots reggae alive well into the dancehall era.

“Set to snaking guitar lines and spongy, occasionally dub-inflected beats, the trio’s tightly woven harmonies have for more than three decades been reggae’s answer to black gospel quartet singing and doo-wop. They sing to lift the human spirit, but as their version of their ’70s hit “Brutal Out Deh” at the What Stage on Friday revealed, an acute awareness of suffering and oppression lies just beneath the surface,” wrote Spin Magazine.