Garnett Silk

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Garnet Silk
Penthouse

Garnet Silk (born Garnet Damion Smith; 2 April 1966 – 9 December 1994) was a Jamaican

Rastafarian
, known for his diverse, emotive, powerful and smooth voice. During the early 1990s he was hailed as a rising talent, however his career was ended by his early death in 1994, while attempting to save his mother from her burning house.

Biography

Little Bimbo

Smith was born in

Rastarfari, eventually converted Smith to his religion with the help of dub poet Yasus Afari, a close friend of both the DJs.[1]

Singing career

In 1989, at the suggestion of veteran singer

Chevelle Franklin, was actually released at the time, and discouraged by this, he returned to Manchester and threw himself into songwriting, often in partnership with an old friend, Anthony "Fire" Rochester.[1]

Another encounter with Tony Rebel brought an introduction to Courtney Cole, owner of the Roof International label. Silk would record a plethora of songs at the producer's Ocho Rios studio, amongst them were the hits "Mama," "Seven Spanish Angels," and a cover of the Johnny Nash classic "I Can See Clearly Now". Roof International would posthumously bundle up these early singles and other material recorded at this time for the Nothing Can Divide Us album, which the VP label picked up for the US.

By 1992, Silk was in

hit single with "Hello Mama Africa" (produced by Richard "Bello" Bell) for the Star Trail label, which was Silk's first international hit, and topped the reggae chart in Britain.[1]

Over the next two years, the singer would record with most of the major name producers on the island, both on his own and in partnership with Tony Rebel. He cut a swathe of songs with King Jammy, including "Fill Us Up With Your Mercy" and "Lord Watch Over Our Shoulders." The latter track titled a 1994 compilation released by the Greensleeves label in the UK and boasts seven Jammy cuts and a clutch of hits for other producers.

1993's Gold, released by the UK Charm label, bundled up more hits from this period. Amongst them was "Zion in a Vision," a Jamaican number one cut with producer

Sly & Robbie, including the deeply religious "Thank You, Jah" and the haunting "Green Line." But the pace was becoming too much and Silk collapsed during a show at the Ritz in New York City, suffering from low blood pressure and exhaustion.[1] The exhausted singer was forced to cancel all his scheduled appearances for the next six months, most crucially of all, what would have been his debut at Reggae Sumfest. However, Silk bounced back in 1994 and set back to work. In a show of good grace, he rejoined Steely & Clevie and cut the "Love Is the Answer" single, another massive hit. "Fight Back," produced by Richie Stephens, was next up. By then, the singer was ready to re-take the stage, which he did with a vengeance, headlining that year's Reggae Sumfest and Reggae Sunsplash festivals.[1] His set at the latter event was captured for the Live at Reggae Sunsplash 1994 album, released in 1999 by the Tabou1 label. Silk's backing band was Jahpostles, who originally formed in the late 1970s.[3]

Death

Having signed an international distribution deal with

Uziah "Sticky" Thompson), to begin work on his second album. He'd recorded ten songs and the album was nearing completion when he went home to visit his mother. Silk had borrowed a pair of guns from his attorney after his home had been burglarized, but had no idea how to use them. Sitting with a couple of friends at his mother's house in Mandeville, Jamaica, on 9 December, one offered to show him how they worked, at which point the gun accidentally misfired, hitting a propane tank and setting the house ablaze.[1] The singer, his friends, and his two brothers made it out safely, only to discover that Silk's mother was still trapped inside. Silk rushed back into the house to save her, but it was too late and both were lost in the fire.[1]

Diet

Garnet silk, like many other Rastafarians in his time was a

Pescatarian

Posthumous

Silk's music has been kept alive by several tributes, including Macka B's "Tribute to Garnett Silk" and the Earth Day concert, and numerous compilation albums, including two collections of his dubplates, Kilimanjaro Remembers Garnett Silk (Jam Down, 1999) and Rule Dem (Trojan/Sanctuary 2006).

In 2000, Atlantic finally released The Definitive Collection, a two-CD set showcasing the ten tracks the singer had recorded during sessions for his unfinished second album.

Jet Star also released a greatest hits compilation album, Gold in 2000. The album contains some of Silk's most well known songs including: "Hello Africa", "Mama", "Oh Me, Oh My" and "Jah, Jah is the Ruler".[4]

Silk's son Garnet Smith Jr. has followed him into a career in music.[5]

Silk's nephew Anthony Cruz recorded a tribute album in 2013, featuring cover versions of fifteen of Silk's songs.[6]

Releases

Albums

  • It's Growing (1992) VP
  • 100% Silk (1993) VP
  • Gold (1993) Charm
  • Buju Banton Meets Garnett Silk and Tony Rebel (1993) Rhino (with Buju Banton and Tony Rebel)
  • Love Is The Answer (1994) VP
  • Lord Watch Over Our Shoulders (1994) Greensleeves
  • Tony Rebel Meets Garnett Silk in a Dance Hall Conference (1994) Heartbeat
  • Nothing Can Divide Us (1995) VP
  • Journey (1996) VP
  • Reggae Max (1996) Jet Star
  • "Garnet Silk and the Superstars in Zion" (1996) Rhino Records
  • Give I Strength (1999) VP
  • Killamanjaro Remembers (1999) Jamdown
  • Live at Reggae Sunsplash 1994 (1999) Tabou
  • Collector's Series (1999) Heartbeat
  • Garnett Silk Meets the Conquering Lion: a Dub Plate Selection (2000) Conquering Lion
  • The Definitive Collection (2000) Atlantic
  • The Definitive Collection (2001) Atlantic (2-CD edition)
  • Legends of Reggae Vol.5 (2001) Artists Only
  • This Sound Leads The Way (2001) Rhino (Garnett Silk & The DJs)
  • Silky Mood (1995) VP
  • The Very Best of Garnett Silk – Gold (2002) Jet Star
  • Reggae Anthology: Music Is The Rod (1994) VP
  • Rule Dem (2006) Trojan

DVD appearances

  • Garnet Silk Earth vibes 1994 (2003) DVD
  • Garnett Silk and Friends (2002) MVD
  • Golden Voices of Reggae (2005) Island MVD

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-87930-655-6
  2. ^ Bonitto, Brian (2014) "Garnet Silk earns his name", Jamaica Observer, 29 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014
  3. ^ Campbell, Howard (2012) "Jahpostles trod on", Jamaica Observer, 10 September 2012, retrieved 10 September 2012
  4. ^ Jo-Ann Greene (22 August 2000). "Gold [Jet Star] - Garnett Silk : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  5. ^ Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2012) "As smooth as Silk?", Jamaica Observer, 2 November 2012, retrieved 10 November 2012
  6. ^ Morgan, Simone (2013) "Tribute to Garnet Silk", Jamaica Observer, 24 July 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013

External links

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