Sly Dunbar sat quietly at Kingston’s National Arena on February 6 as songs he and Robbie Shakespeare played and produced blared from speakers during a public viewing of Shakespeare’s body.
The legendary bass player, half of Sly and Robbie, died in Florida on December 8 at age 68.
Dunbar, one of pop music ‘s great drummers, recorded and toured for over 40 years with Shakespeare. The Riddim Twins worked with some of the music business ‘ biggest artists; the dreadlocked musician said he lost a special friend.
“It’s going to be hard because yuh can’t find dat back. I never know what bass lines Robbie would play an’ he never knew which drum pattern I would come with…we never rehearsed. When wi start, wi jus’ lock,” he stated.
The 69 year-old Dunbar points to his and Shakespeare’s time in Peter Tosh’s Word Sound And Power band during the mid and late 1970’s as a turning point in their career. He credits Tosh for giving them creative space on tour and in the recording studio which served them well when they relaunched the Taxi label in the late 1970’s.
Taxi produced hit songs by many artists including Jimmy Riley (Love And Devotion), The Tamlins (Baltimore), Dennis Brown (Revolution, Sitting And Watching) as well as several classic albums by Black Uhuru.
One of those, Anthem, won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1985.
The public viewing started at Beres Hammond’s Harmony House studio, before moving to Mixing Lab and Anchor studios where Sly and Robbie did countless recording sessions.
Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness attended the viewing at the National Arena along with entertainment minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange. A number of artists, producers and administrators also paid their respects including Hammond, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Carlton Smith and Junior Moore of The Tamlins, Hopeton Lindo, Lukie D, drummer George “Dusty” Miller of the Firehouse Crew, Gussie Clarke, George Phang, Copeland Forbes and Clyde McKenzie.
A private thanksgiving ceremony for Robert “Robbie” Shakespeare will be held today (February 7) in Kingston.
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