Information Americas, KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jan. 26, 2026: Chances are you’ll not know his face. Chances are you’ll not even know his title. However if you happen to’ve listened to reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, pop, or rock during the last half-century, you’ve got virtually definitely heard his drums.
Lowell Fillmore “Sly” Dunbar, the legendary Jamaican drummer and one-half of the groundbreaking rhythm duo Sly and Robbie, has died on the age of 73. His spouse, Thelma Dunbar, confirmed his passing after discovering him unresponsive at their house early Monday morning, January twenty sixth. His dying marks the lack of some of the influential musicians Jamaica ever produced and comes on the heels of the passing not too long ago of Third World co-founder, Cat Coore.
Born on Could 10, 1952, in Kingston, Dunbar started drumming as a youngster, rapidly incomes a repute for precision, versatility, and innovation. By age 15, he was already performing professionally, first with The Yardbrooms and later with the Ansell Collins–led band Pores and skin, Flesh & Bones. His earliest recordings got here by collaborations with Dave and Ansell Collins, laying the muse for a profession that will reshape international music.
Dunbar’s life modified in 1972 when he met bassist Robbie Shakespeare. Their partnership grew to become some of the prolific and influential rhythm sections in trendy music. Collectively, they fashioned the duo Sly & Robbie, also known as the “Riddim Twins,” whose sound would outline reggae and dancehall whereas crossing seamlessly into rock, pop, and hip-hop.
Working carefully with producer Bunny Lee and the Aggrovators, Sly and Robbie helped drive Jamaica’s golden period of roots reggae earlier than pushing the style ahead with digital rhythms and experimental manufacturing within the late Seventies and Nineteen Eighties. Their affect reached far past the Caribbean. The duo recorded and carried out with artists together with Peter Tosh, Grace Jones, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, and numerous others.
In 1980, the pair launched Taxi Data, a label that grew to become a powerhouse of Jamaican music. Taxi Data launched and elevated artists corresponding to Black Uhuru, Ini Kamoze, Beenie Man, Crimson Dragon, and Chaka Demus and Pliers, shaping the sound of dancehall for a brand new technology whereas holding reggae globally related.
Dunbar’s drumming fashion was unmistakable – crisp, creative, and deeply musical. He blended conventional Caribbean rhythms with funk, rock, and digital influences, creating grooves that had been each advanced and accessible. His credit spanned from Junior Murvin’s Police and Thieves to Bob Marley’s Punky Reggae Social gathering, in addition to Bob Dylan’s albums Infidels and Empire Burlesque. Few drummers in historical past have left fingerprints throughout so many genres.
His longtime musical accomplice Robbie Shakespeare handed away in December 2021, making Dunbar’s dying particularly poignant for followers who noticed the duo as inseparable. Collectively, they redefined what a rhythm part could possibly be — not simply backing musicians, however architects of sound.
Dunbar’s contributions didn’t go unrecognized. He was awarded Jamaica’s Order of Distinction and obtained the Musgrave Gold Medal in 2015 for his excellent service to music. He additionally obtained a Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of Minnesota in Could 2025, additional underscoring the worldwide attain of his work. Dunbar was set to be honored at Reggae Genealogy on Feb. 7th in Fort Lauderdale.
The Jamaican leisure trade is once more in mourning, following the lack of yet one more cultural large. However Sly Dunbar’s dying doesn’t silence his legacy. His rhythms dwell on within the music that also fills dance flooring, radio stations, movies, and playlists all over the world.
Chances are you’ll not have recognized his title earlier than at the moment. However you’ve doubtless heard his drums your entire life — and also you at all times will.
LISTEN TO HIS EHYTHMS HERE
Source link
