Garnet Silk and Donovan Germain—-
MUSIC producer Donovan Germain believes every generation has a unique artist. For him, roots singer Garnet Silk was the standout of his contemporaries.
“For the short time he was here, he created a tremendous impact on the music. His songs are still current today,” said Germain.
Silk (given name Garnet Smith) was part of the roots revival that swept Jamaica during the 1990s.
That movement also comprised poet Yasus Afari, deejay Tony Rebel, singers Everton Blender, Uton Green and deejay Kulcha Knox.
Germain, principal of Penthouse Records, said the singer’s conviction to his faith helped make his music enduring.
“They weren’t the run-of-the-mill songs. Garnet really believed in Rastafari and was commited to the faith. It came out in how he ate, how he carried himself and in his music,” he said.
“Garnet came at a time when slackness was the order of the day. He personally hit out against it in one of his songs Lion Heart (1992) when he said ‘slackness fi go park’,” Germain continued.
He remembers his first encounter with Silk, then an aspiring artist.
“Tony Rebel brought him to Penthouse, around 1990. He was a deejay at the time who called himself Bimbo,” he said.
Tony Rebel
The producer said he was not impressed with the young entertainer, and sent him home to “hone his skills”.
“He came back as the Garnet Silk we know. I also became his manager,” said the producer. “He was passionate about what he did. Always prepared, and always on time.”
Silk recorded several tracks on the Penthouse label. Fifteen were compiled on the Garnet Silk: Collector Series album and released a year after his death. That set contains some of the artist’s popular hits including A Man Is Just A Man, Complaint, Broken Heart and Everything I’ve Got.
Germain said he has two unreleased Garnet Silk songs which he plans to release at the “right time”.
Silk and his mother, Etiga Gray, died in a fire at her home in Manchester on December 9, 1994.
The producer said he spoke to Silk the night before he died.
“We were talking about music. He was into music and just being successful to take care of his family,” he recalled.
Garnet Silk died before his son, Garnet Jnr, was born.
“I became Garnet Silk Jr’s godfather. I took care of him right through high school. Garnet would have wanted that,” he added.