Garnet Silk Foundation to honour late reggae artiste
Published:Sunday | December 15, 2019 | 12:00 AMYasmine Peru - Senior Sunday Gleaner Writer
Some 25 years after his passing, the legacy of reggae singer Garnett Silk will be celebrated with the establishment of a foundation in his honour. Spearheaded by his family, it is Silk’s second son, Fabian, who is now shouldering the responsibility for this project, which he says is close to his heart.
Fabian, who turns 30 in a few days’ time, told The Sunday Gleaner that the foundation has already been registered, and come 2020, things will officially be on track. “One thing that people may find strange is the spelling of my father’s name. When my mother told me that he hated the two ‘T’s at the end of his name, I decided to make it the Garnet Silk Foundation,” he explained.
When Silk passed away in December 1994, he died intestate, like many reggae artistes, but according to his son, he and the family have been doing their part to resolve certain issues. “We have come a far way in stepping over the bumps we had with the estate. There is a paternity issue with one of the beneficiaries, but that is being sorted out, and we are moving forward to make sure that whatever we are doing in our father’s honour is something he would have approved of,” Fabian emphasised.
Preserve his legacy
This son of Garnett is determined to document as much as possible his father’s legacy, and part of that mandate will see the stories being told and his brand come to life through merchandising. “My father was around for only 28 years. As it is now, I am on this earth longer than he was. There was no one really converting people to Rasta like that, and he influenced many artistes. His was a short but very vital piece of reggae history, and it is important to tell his story. Lovey (his mother) has so many stories. For example, when Garnett was kidnapped in England after the show, and dem finally find him, Garnett was in the room reading the Bible to his kidnappers. When him and Capleton visit Trinidad, the people treat them like gods and tek off them shirt and line the floor. These need to be recounted and digested,” he said.
Fabian Silk disclosed that branded products such as shirts and hoodies have already been made, and other items will be added when the demo Website goes live.
Lovey Silk, Garnett’s partner, is eager to see the foundation up and running as this will mean that finally, the things that were important to Garnett will be delivered. “Garnett always wanted to do a lot of work to develop his community. He was from the Hatfield and Greenvale border in Manchester, and community was his passion. He spoke about it constantly. So with the foundation, that will be our primary focus,” she told The Sunday Gleaner.
Garnett Silk and his mother, Etiga Gray, perished in a fire at her house on December 9, 1994. The Rastafarian singer’s catalogue included songs such as Zion in a Vision, Kingly Character, Fill Us Up With Your Mercy, Lord Watch Over Our Shoulders, B less Me, Man Is Just A Man, and Love Is the Answer.