Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff celebrates in style

For more than four hours on Wednesday, soulful tributes in dance, song, as well as carefully written and articulated speeches unfolded inside the National Indoor Centre as the life of cultural ambassador, Jimmy Cliff was gloriously celebrated at an event put on by the Government of Jamaica.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, Minister of Culture, Olivia Grange, Leader of the Opposition, Mark Golding, Cliff's brother Victor Chambers, Justine Henzell and via video, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Ziggy Marley, Shaggy and Sting all spoke passionately about the greatness of the man.

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, also sent a video message, noting that she regretted "not being able to stand among you to honour our icon, Jimmy Cliff".

"I do wish very much that I was standing among you but in instances like this distance does not diminish connection and absence does not weaken gratitude. I'm with you in mind and spirit. To honour Jimmy Cliff in Jamaica is to honour him where his voice was first formed, where his conscience sharpened and where his vision took root. Today is a regional and global moment of acknowledgement. Jamaica gave the world Jimmy Cliff and through him the Caribbean learned how powerfully its story could be told," she said.

Cliff's widow, Latifa Chambers Cliff, focused on thanking everyone in a variety of languages for the love shown to her and her children during this challenging time.

Not on the programme, was Norman 'Dewey' Reid, the man who has been by Cliff's side, touring the world with him for more than two decades, and who used to "speak to Jimmy more than anybody else". He kept his shades glued to his face, but it wasn't to conceal any tears, because he said that he wasn't mourning.

"I know what I know. I talked to Jimmy more than, I think, more than everybody else. I talk to him every week, if I don't call him on a Friday, I call him on a Monday," Dewey said. "For me, Jimmy is a consummate professional and I just cherish the memories and whatever I can do, I will. I'll always try my best to maintain that upfulness that he stood for.

He added, "A lot of people who talk about Jimmy don't really know, Jimmy. If you listen to Jimmy Cliff's music as I have ... I know the catalogue from back to front ... Jimmy's catalogue is his life played out. Listen to a song like House of Exile. Most people in Jamaica don't know those songs, but Jimmy was in exile because nobody knew where he lived."

Dewey said that he spoke to Cliff twice after the passage of Hurricane Melissa and the plan was for him to check on the icon's house in Somerton, St James. On November 4, he received a voice note from Cliff telling him to call as soon as he got that message. He tried for days and was unsuccessful.

"I kept calling, calling, and I didn't get him, and I say something is wrong. I have a number for Jimmy that he said don't give it to anybody else. The only musician I ever gave it to is Ansel Collins [who] is Jimmy's favourite musician. So whenever I call him, if he doesn't answer the phone, five minutes later, he's calling me back. I knew something was wrong. Then I got the text from Victor [Cliff's brother] saying that Jimmy had died," Dewey said.

Jimmy Cliff died on November 24. No official mention was made of a funeral, and those close to him tell THE STAR that they "don't know about one and have stopped asking".

Tribute in dance came from the Tivoli Gardens Dance Troupe as well as the National Dance Theatre Company, with dancers Kerry-Ann Henry and Shavaughn Byndloss, moving to Cliff's Many Rivers to Cross. It was the same song that Cliff's daughter Lilty chose and delivered a passion filled interpretation. Tribute performances of Cliff's songs were done by artistes including Richie Spice, Dwight Richards, Tony Rebel, Beenie Man, Nadine Sutherland, Alaine, Etana, Luciano, Dean Fraser, Abijah, Richie Stephens and Tarrus Riley.