Imagine a life where you are in a reggae band, playing drums for a well known reggae musician like Peter Tosh, whether on stage or in studio. This is the life which is likely familiar to Sly Dunbar.
Born Lowell Dunbar, Sly started playing drums at a young age.
“I started playing drums professionally at age 15. Lloyd (Parks) is the one that came around to play his guitar and I would play on a pot and pan everyday,” he wrote on his facebook profile.
He has been in the music industry for more than 30 years with his bass guitarist partner Robbie Shakespeare.
“My working relationship with Robbie is great; we support each other, I don’t try to outdo him and he doesn’t try to outdo me. We respect each other, and never forgetting where we come from.”
Sly and Robbie, also known as the Riddim Twins, played a vital role in the success of many reggae artist, most notably the likes of Black Uhuru and Peter Tosh to mention a few.
“I enjoyed working with every artist we have worked with because music is my life and has done a lot to help us. So every artist is important,” explains Sly.
Sly and Robbie have been known to be the best drummer and bass guitarist respectively in the reggae music industry. They are estimated to have played on or produced 200 000 recordings. They even went as far as releasing their studio albums and establishing their own recording label named Taxi Records.
They have toured many places around the world with different artists. When asked about his most enjoyable tour, Sly says that he enjoyed “quite a lot of them. Most of the tours have been enjoyable for me because I am playing music for people who have paid their money for a good concert.”
With a decline of audiences around the world and a lack of exposure, the future of reggae music looks uncertain. But Sly is very optimistic about reggae music’s future. “The future of reggae depends on the kind of songs we record. The future is bright; we just have to make great records just like in the past by those great musicians.”
And indeed Sly and Robbie have played an important part in the development of reggae music and the rest depends on upcoming artists to take the music further. Just like those musicians, Sly wants to leave a legacy for future generations. “The legacy I would like to leave is great music that will live on and on.”
