The Jamaica Observer continues its 20-part series, 20 Days of Silk, which looks at the life of roots singer Garnet Silk. Next month marks 20 years since his death.

TYPICAL of Jamaican reggae artistes, Garnet Silk got his start in music in the dancehall. He first made a name on sound systems like Destiny Outanational and Conquering Lion in his native Manchester as deejay Little Bimbo.

After moving to Kingston in the late 1980s, Silk still had a presence on ‘sounds’ like Silver Hawk, owned by hot production duo Steely and Clevie. He did a number of ‘specials’ for that ‘set’ which helped herald the age of modern dancehall music.

Another sound system Silk had close ties was Kilamanjaro, one of the top ‘sounds’ of the 1980s and 1990s. He was breaking out as an artiste in 1992 when he met Garfield ‘Ricky Trooper’ McKoy who was ‘Jaro’s’ top selector.

Trooper remembers he and Silk becoming close shortly after first meeting at ‘Jaro’ headquarters off Red Hills Road in St Andrew. That initial meeting, Trooper recalls, was not without conflict.

“Wi wanted to do two special of (Silk’s hits) It’s Growing an’ Nothing Can Divide Us wid some harmonies but him neva waan do it. Him keep on saying, ‘Harmony pon a dub plate?’ So mi get annoyed an’ tell ‘Jaro’ fi pay him an’ mek him gwaan,” Trooper told the Jamaica Observer.

Silk eventually agreed to add the backing vocals and developed a bond with Trooper, who described the singer as a “real person. The most humble artiste mi ever know”.

He gave an example of that humility.

Trooper remembers a sound system selector ‘dissing’ Silk at a dance, calling him a ‘cokehead’. That selector showed up at a studio where Silk was the following week and approached him to record some ‘specials’.

“Mi sey, ‘No man Silk, yuh cyan record nuthin fi dem man dey afta dem dis yuh’. Him sey, ‘Trooper, a love wi a deal wid. Same way dem crucify mi, same way dem crucify Christ’. A jus’ love, honour an’ respect Garnet used to deal wid.”

In 1999, five years after Silk and his mother died in a fire at her Manchester home, Kilamanjaro released the album, Kilamanjaro Remembers Garnet Silk.