The Almighty giveth, and he taketh. Of course, no man
knows his time.
When the news flashed across the Jamaican airwaves, on Friday, December
9, 1994, that Garnet Smith, popularly called Garnet Silk, was killed,
shock and the disbelief were on the faces of those who knew him. At just
28-years old, the singer was on the path to great accomplishments.
In just a mere three years, he single-handedly resurrected cultural awareness
in Jamaica's fledging reggae fraternity. With songs aplenty on the radio,
in the dancehalls, and concerts both locally and abroad ticketing sold
out venues, the slimly-built Rastafarian was in the success zone. Then
tragedy struck.
On that fateful Friday night at his mother's home in Mandeville - his
hometown, was rocked by a fiery explosion. In the aftermath, the singer
along with his mother lay dead.
Silk, through divine inspiration - no doubt - could be referred to as a renaissance man. He oversaw the rebirth of raw roots in the music, from the tiny northern Caribbean Island. In addition, during that same period, others the likes of Tony Rebel - his mentor, Utan Green, Yasus Afari and Everton Blender were the frameworks of the local cultural uprising. Moreover, it would not be incorrect to say the 'Silky One' was special among the lot.
His presence was felt from his 1991 release It's Growing. The song taken from said titled album was produced by highly acclaimed hit-maker, Bobby Dixon. He was also responsible for last December's posthumous album release, Give I Strength.
As the years progressed, Silk became more prolific. He dropped albums and numerous singles, each containing solid messages of consciousness, love and traits of repatriation. Among the releases were 100% Silk, Love is the Answer, Nothing Can Divide Us, Silky Mood, and Journey. At the time of his death, a studio album for the now defunct Atlantic Records offshoot Big Beat Records, was in the making.
Truth is, he had numerous engagements which went unfulfilled.
One such was the celebrated one-night concert called Sting. Held annually
on December 26, or preferably Boxing Day, the show was geared towards
highlighting and reflecting the major shift the music had experienced
during the early 90s. On its high-profile promotional billboards, they
showed Silk, Luciano, Rebel, Capleton and Kulcha Knox in a memorable pose
of brotherhood. However, on concert night, his presence was a wish - if
only...
Far from selfish, he always endorses other performers. And for those who
were at the Mirage nightclub in Liguanea, Kingston, on December 6, witnessed
his final performance. Richie Stephens was celebrating his birthday, and
invited the charismatic performer to join him on stage. He obliged and
they sang. The vibe was electrifying.
As always, he (Silk) would give something special, and that night was
no exception. Three days later, however, the unexpected occur. And truth
is, the incident is still a mystery.
Had he been alive, who knows what direction the music would have traveled.
Bridgette Anderson, his former manager and close friend had no regrets
working with one of reggae's finest. "Where ever he is now, I know
I will see him again," she states.
Silk came, he sang and went, but not without etching indelible marks in
our hearts. A true sign of the ways and works of the gifted and special
ones.
Written by: Lenroy James