Sly Dunbar gave Jamaica ‘a gift that will never fade’

Sounds of drums filled the Holy Trinity Cathedral on Saturday morning as the funeral service for legendary drummer Lowell Fillmore ‘Sly’ Dunbar got under way. One half of the iconic ‘Riddim Twins’, Sly and Robbie, Dunbar was remembered not only for his talent, but also for who he was as a friend, colleague, father and husband.

“Sly was deeply loved by his peers around the world,” emcee Coleen Douglas said in her opening remarks, as she welcomed the congregation gathered to celebrate his life.

The first musical tribute came from saxophonist Dean Fraser, who has been friends with Dunbar since their teenage years. Backed by fellow musicians dressed in white, Fraser led a lively set inside the cathedral.

After the opening tribute, the England-based duo Mafia & Fluxy took their turn. Douglas introduced them to the congregation as “the Sly and Robbie of England,” a title reflecting how the duo was inspired by the legendary Jamaican producers.

Gospel artiste Chevelle Franklyn was then introduced, moving straight into her tribute and encouraging attendees to “give God praise” for the life of Sly Dunbar. She celebrated his talent, kindness, and the gift he brought to the world. Her tribute flowed into hymns such as Great is Thy Faithfulness and the medley I Got My Mind Made Up.

Reggae singer Nadine Sutherland followed with her own heartfelt set, while Leba Hibbert, Tarrus Riley, Luciano, Maxi Priest, Bitty McClean, and others took the stage to honour him.

Copeland Forbes, tour manager and long-time friend, took the congregation back to a young Sly growing up in Waterhouse. He recalled how bass player Lloyd Parks, then part of the duo The Termites, would stop by with his guitar, and Sly would drum along to the tunes on a downturned pot using a knife and fork, while his mother nodded her head in time with the rhythm.

“And that’s where and how his musical career started,” Forbes added.

Clive ‘Busy’ Thompson, a long-time friend of Sly – also known to many as ‘Byah’ –described the musician as someone whose “heartbeat shaped the rhythm of our island. He was more than a drummer; he was a pioneer, a musical architect, and one of the humblest human beings I have ever known”.

Thompson added, “Through his hands, rhythm spoke – it spoke of joy, struggle, resistance, love, and the deep cultural pride of our people.”

Together with his musical brother, Robert ‘Robbie’ Shakespeare, Dunbar founded the legendary Taxi Records, producing timeless music and backing icons such as Bunny Wailer, Jimmy Cliff, Beenie Man, and Grace Jones. Robbie passed away in 2021.

“His drumming was disciplined but daring, steady but inventive ... each rhythm pushed reggae forward, while honouring the foundation laid before him,” Thompson shared, noting that his influence stretched beyond his talent, as he remembers just how much of a true friend he was.

“Sly gave Jamaica a gift that will never fade. His rhythms are now a part of our DNA... . Today, as we give thanks for his life, I ask that we never forget the rhythm he created. That rhythm must continue... every time a drum is struck in reggae, a baseline locks into the groove, a piece of his spirit lives on,” Thompson said.

Among the special tributes were Opposition Leader Mark Golding, who noted that Dunbar “was an essential contributor to what we talk about when we say Brand Jamaica”. Tom Tavares-Finson, president of the Senate of Jamaica, who read a tribute on behalf of Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, describing Sly Dunbar as “a giant in Jamaican music whose rhythms helped to shape the identity of our nation and amplify our cultural voice across the world”; and Culture and Entertainment Minister Olivia Grange, who gave the remembrance, noted that, “You (Sly) never compromised the beat, you played for the people, and the people loved it”.

Natasha Dunbar, Sly’s daughter, described her father as her “hero, role model, best friend and her biggest supporter”.

She recalled being a plus-one to her dad when she was six years old, attending Reggae Sunsplash and sitting on the stage right behind him.

“I remember listening to some of the sweetest music you could ever imagine. To the world, he was Sly Dunbar, the drummer, the legend; but to me, he was simply my dad, and I was a little girl sitting there proudly behind him.”

Describing what made her dad special to her, she said it was the way he lived: “He didn’t just play music, he was music.” She added that his greatest achievement wasn’t who he was in the eyes of the public, but instead, who he was at home, always showing up for his family.

“Daddy, thank you for loving me, guiding me, being my hero, and thank you for being my best friend. Today, you show the world beauty through music and to me, beauty through fatherhood,” Natasha said.

Lowell Fillmore ‘Sly’ Dunbar died in January at the age of 73, following a period of illness. He is survived by his wife, Thelma, daughter Natasha, and other relatives.

rollesha.laing@gleanerjm.com