‘Sugar’ was extraordinary – Jingles

Permit me to express a few words about an extraordinary talent produced in Jamaica. Like millions of his fans around the world, I was saddened upon hearing of the death on July 10 of Sugar Minott at such a relatively young age, 54. He started his career very early at around age 14, and went on to become one of the most prolific, gifted and humble performers and producers of one genre of popular Jamaican music, reggae. The world has become more aware that he was most influential in two segments of the music, dancehall and lovers’ rock. He didn’t create these, but he bridged two generations of talent, there is the pre-Sugar, artistes such as Owen Grey, Laurel Aitken, Lascelles Perkins, Joe Higgs,

Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Delroy Wilson, Bunny Wailer, John Holt, Marcia Griffiths, Dawn Penn, Phyllis Dillon and Ernest Wilson. These are among the earliest Dancehall and Lovers Rock crooners.

Then there is the second wave with Sugar, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Tony Tuff, Beres Hammond, Errol Dunkley, Johnny Osborne, Horace Andy and a host of others. But what I believe sets Sugar apart was his gift for writing, producing and exposing new talent: Tony Tuff, Triston Palmer, Garnet Silk, Barry Brown, Little John to name a few. And for this I, without hesitation, place him in the pantheon of the great producer pioneers; Arthur ‘Duke’ Reid, Clement ‘Coxson’ Dodd, Cecil ‘Prince Buster’ Campbell, Lee ‘Scratch’

‘The Upsetter’ Perry, Leslie Kong, Sonia Pottinger, Derrick Harriott and Bunny Lee.

Musical talent

Sugar was loved and respected for his musical talent by Coxson Dodd, whose niece, Maxine Stowe, he married. Working closely with Coxson as marketing manager for his Coxson Muzik City/Studio One Records in New York in the mid-1980s, I was exposed to much of his deeper thoughts, and Sugar and Freddie McGregor were two of his favourites. I became aware of Sugar as a force to be reckoned with in the early 1980s when a boyhood friend of his, Trevor, befriended me and my friends and business partners in St Albans, Queens, sought our help in promoting Sugar and his stable of artistes’ careers in the United States. We supported several of their appearances with no regrets. Among his greatest recordings is one with the legend Toots Hibbert with whom he co-wrote and performed New Day. Others are Live Loving, Love Gonna Pack Up, Hang On Natty, Leave Out A Babylon, Herbsmans Hustling, No Vacancy, Hold On, and Love Life. He possessed the timing, the attitude, the rudeboy swagger, the acute sense of rhythm that personifies the true dancehall artiste.

But the most satisfying experience I have of him was two years ago when I was asked to emcee the awards segment of Tribute to the Greats in Jamaica, and had was to write the introduction of him coming on stage. Sugar was out of the country and had difficulty getting a flight into Jamaica in time to receive his award, but it meant so much to him, he, to our great surprise, turned up for the ceremony. Late in the night when he was leaving, I approached him hugged him and said, “The Great Suggar Bugga, love you Sugar”, and he looked straight in my face and smiled as is customary of him, and said “I know”. I feel very good today that I was able to express to him the great regard I have for him. His legacy will triumph.

Julian ‘Jingles’ Reynolds was entertainment and cultural writer for the Gleaner and THE Star from 1967-1972. He is now head of Fiwi Productions based in New York, and chairman of Sounds & Pressure, a Jamaican company involved in re-establishing Kingston as acultural tourism destination.