Dennis Brown

Dennis Brown was one of the leading exponents of reggae. The clarity of his voice and the beauty of his songs made him as popular or more popular in Jamaica as key figures of the rhythm such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Born in the capital of the Caribbean island on February 1, 1957, Dennis Emanuel Brown belonged to the second generation of the genre, who began singing when ska was no longer present on the musical scene and a new style was taking over the charts: reggae.

As he himself recounts, he started as a kind of "child prodigy", a protégé of producer Coxsonne Dodd. He came to Brazil for the first time in 91, participating in the "Reggae Time" tour that took place in Rio at Praça da Apoteose and also in São Paulo.

Always smiling on stage, he had a beautiful performance in Rio, which only deserved criticism for the short time allotted, but his charisma and presence made up for everything. The second time he came to Brazilian lands is already marked in reggae history in a way none of us would wish: his performance in São Paulo, the only one of the troubled tour attempt that took place in May/June, was the last of his long career of more than 30 years.

A pneumonia that was not properly treated ended up taking the life of the "prince of reggae" on July 1, at 6:50 in the morning, in a Kingston hospital.