Huge turnout at nine night for Sly Dunbar

Everybody loves Sly. That was the clear message from the hundreds who turned out to the nine night at the Ranny Williams Centre on Tuesday to celebrate the life of one half of legendary Jamaican duo, Sly & Robbie. Lowell ‘Sly’ Dunbar — also affectionately called Bya and Charly — the drummer, musician, producer, husband, father, mentor, inspiration and friend to many, passed away on January 26 – leaving a void which the music industry laments can never be filled - “One Sly Dunbar ... and one gang, that’s the Taxi Gang”.

Information about the nine night was circulated from phone-to-phone and on the Instagram page of Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, whose ministry curated the event, yet the place was full with a wide cross section of personalities of various ranks and ages who all testified to greatness of the man who co-founded the innovative Taxi label. Robbie Lyn, Mutabaruka, Herbie Miller, Stanford Cocking, Herbie Harris, Cherine Anderson, Bongo Herman, Ali McNab, Lenford Salmon, Andi Green-Browne, Yolande Rattrray-Wright, Keeling Beckford, Don Hewitt, Berty Grant, Future Fambo, Peter Lloyd, Turbulence, Dr. Carlene Davis, Tommy Cowan, Tony Rebel, Stephen Marley, Donovan Germain, Marcia Griffiths and Sheryl Lee Ralph were just a few of the people who were marked present.

It was an evening on which the music did the talking and it started out with Mutabaruka dropping music on the turntable as smoothly as he dropped gems. “Tonight we are going to play like [this event] is a sweet music, historical ting ... Sly represent the continuity of instruments in Jamaican music ... from the hard-core power of dub music,” Muta told his attentive audience as he reeled off sweet dubs and played other Sly-induced hits such as Grace Jones’s My Jamaican Guy, along with “big chunes” from giants such as Black Uhuru, Dennis Brown and countless others.

RESPECT

“Definitely one have to show respect to a great legend,” producer and politician, Patrick Roberts told The Gleaner, as he went on to relate a ‘Sly story’, of which there were many.

“Sly and us come a long way. He made several riddims for Shocking Vibes ... several hits. One I easily remember is Dancehall Queen. Firstly, we did Dancehall Queen with Tanto and Beenie Man and then Island Records told us that they are more hearing a female voice. Hence, we went to Chevelle [Franklin] and Sly said he would come on the project and bring in Chevelle. She did it with Beenie Man. and it became the hit.We had a great relationship with Sly,” the CEO of Shocking Vibes shared.

He added, “Sly is one of the easiest musicians you coulda deal with. Sly was music before money. I have never called up on him and him quote money. Yuh see when him done, me ask him ‘How much mi owe yuh?’ And Sly will smile and seh ‘Yuh dun know already. A you dat yuh know.’ The music has lost a legend. Definitely.”

Beenie Man, Tanto Metro and Devonte, former members of the Shocking Vibes crew, were all present to show their respect to the legend.

“I had to be here ... come on ... it’s Sly,” Beenie Man said giving that “no-brainer” look. “There’s none of my music without Sly. There’s Foundation, Selassie I Send Mi, Crazy Baldhead with me and Luciano, Brown Girl in the Ring with D.I., Dancehall Queen with Chevelle, Nuff Gal and Gal Inna Bungle ... all the great songs. Sly has played a great part in my career to bring it to where it is, so all we can do is just show our respect over and over again.”

Politician, Damion Crawford was among those present and he told The Gleaner exactly why.

“These musicians have created something that has benefitted the nation in totality. I worked with them closely when I was junior minister of entertainment, so I’ve built relationships generally with the industry and as you can see the industry is in mourning. What they have built ... a lot of us have had good life from it and have earned great income. The tourism ministry has benefitted, so you must give regard to a persons who has contributed so greatly to a nation such as ours and to the music,” Crawford said.

For the group LUST, Sly Dunbar, is “a column in the reggae music industry”.

“Once we are here and they have any form of function for somebody who has paved the way for so many of us ... drummers, bass players, keyboardist, singers, background vocalist ... that’s what Sly Dunbar has done ... we couldn’t stay at home and sleep or watch TV, we haffi come yah so,” Lukie D said, speaking on behalf of the entire group.

With Colleen Douglas as emcee, the proceedings flowed almost seamlessly as the live band with greats such as Lloyd Parks, Dean Fraser, Robbie Lyn, Chris McDonald, Paul ‘Wrong Move’ Crossdale, Worm Bass, Stingwray, Chinna Smith, and Bird, created musical magic on a stage beautifully decorated by Bridgett Anderson.

Performances came from the Tamlins, Mighty Diamonds, Bongo Herman, Ras Shiloh Cutty Ranks, Tarrus Riley, Beenie Man, Wadadah, and a rarely-seen Cherine Anderson, who Douglas introduced as Sly’s adopted daughter, and who gave Love and Devotion, “exactly the way Sly would want it”.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com