There is a lot of mourning taking place in the dancehall with the death of Boom Dandimite, an original member of the Scare Dem Crew, a Seaview Gardens outfit that also included Elephant Man, Harry Toddler, and Nitty Kutchie.

The deejay died May 21 at a Florida hospital, where he was taken three weeks after sustaining serious injuries in a motor accident on Half-Way-Tree Road in St Andrew.

Boom Dandimite, who would have turned 51 in July, died two days before his mother’s 70th birthday.

“Is a big loss, yuh nuh, a lotta sadness ’cause him was a good yute. Very kind, jovial, God-fearing family man,” said his cousin Christine Grant in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Born Herman Stewart, Boom Dandimite was the third of his mother’s eight children. The family are originally from the nearby “Back To” region of Majesty Gardens. They moved to the Phase One area of Seaview Gardens when he was a child, where he developed a love for music.

“Mi used to si ‘Boom’ a tow Bounty Killer pon him bicycle guh a [music producer Lloyd James] Jammys. Mi know him good like a bredda,” said Hector Smith, a Seaview Gardens resident and deejay known as Juta Rhyme. “Boom is a person like dis…any young artiste check him, him give us advice an’ a strength.”

Bounty Killer is largely credited with ‘bussing’ Scare Dem Crew, who are best known for the songs Many Many and Pure Gal. The quartet came to prominence during the crew era of the mid-1990s, alongside Shocking Vibes Crew, Monster Shack Crew, Innocent Kru, Main Street Crew, and Black Roses Crew.

They maintained Seaview Gardens’ reputation for producing top-notch dancehall acts, following Grammy winner Shabba Ranks and Bounty Killer.

However, their hit run did not last long as Elephant Man, who many considered the star attraction, left for a successful solo career.

David Ireland, who is also from the community, told the Observer that Boom Dandimite and his colleagues in Scare Dem Crew had a significant influence on youth in Seaview Gardens, an area prone to outbursts of gang violence.

“They had a big impact,,t such as motivation in wanting to be a part of music… They opened nuff youths eyes to the possibilities of making something of themselves while being someone in society. Just like how Brazil is known for football, so is Seaview Gardens known for music and musicians,” he said.

When the Scare Dem Crew folded, Boom Dandimite recorded solo for producers including Lloyd “King Jammy” James, Robert “Bobby Digital” Dixon, and Rohan “Snow Cone” Fuller.

He is survived by his mother, Casseta Sinclair, five children, and numerous brothers and sisters.