Donovan “Brother DC’ Campbell is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, author and life coach, who originally hails from May Pen in Clarendon.
The born-again Christian, who now resides in Canada, told the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain Show that he grew up in a single-parent household. He recalls that on many occasions, there was not much food on the table. He says, there was no running water at his home, so he had to collect the precious commodity from a standpipe about a hundred yards away.
Donovan Campbell on the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain Show.
A domestic accident almost took the May Pen native’s life. When he was still a young child he accidentally drank kerosene oil. He was taken to the May Pen Hospital and the prognosis was not good. The doctors told his mother that his chance of surviving was very small. Campbell, who is now a Gospel recording artiste, remembers his mother getting down on her knees and pleading to god to save her son’s life. He has rejoiced at the fact that the dark clouds had lifted, and he is happy to be here today.
As the Campbell grew older, he recollects how his mother struggled to look after him and his 4 brothers. One day, the singer/songwriter decided that he had to do something to help take the pressures off his mother. That was the point when his entrepreneurial instincts took over. He started selling sweets to his school mates, which brought in some money to supplement the outgoings of the household.
The man of god adds that he subsequently realised that more money was still needed to sustain the family. As a result, got himself a job at a local supermarket. He reveals that his contributions had a big impact on the family and his mother was grateful for his support.
After graduating from the Vere Technical High School in the parish, he got a job at the May Pen Hospital. The life coach says he found strength in the fact that the same institution where he almost died, had turned out to be the very place that he would find employment several years later.
Having survived against the odds, Brother DC is now helping others to overcome their own adversities through music, motivational speaking, and life coaching. Only recently he co-authored the book, Our Life’s Journey, with his wife Samantha.
Donovan & Samantha Campbell.
Also, it was not long ago that he released his first album, God + Me = Purpose.
Cover of Campbell's new album.
Brother DC’s works are available on all major digital platforms including Amazon.
For a very long time, the drum and baselines of the musical duo, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, simply known as Sly and Robbie, have been tightly woven into a great many records that we have grown to love over the years.
Robbie Shakespeare (Maureen Cousin's pic)
Shakespeare’s passing on the 8th December 2021 at the age of 68 following a kidney surgery, has left many musicians and fans alike reflecting on the larger than life reggae soldier that had suddenly disappeared from the frontlines of our musical heritage.
Shakespeare was born in September 1953 in Kingston, Jamaica and grew up in the east end of the country’s capital. He was raised in a musical family and spent most of his youthful years around up and coming musicians. His brother’s band, The Emotions, used to sharpen their skills at Shakespeare’s house. It was as a result of that early exposure that he developed a deep love for the bass guitar. By the early 1970s, he had established a name for himself in the Jamaican music industry.
Armed with his powerful base guitar, Shakespeare watched over the music, ensuring that its familiar and inspiring accompaniments were always melodious and pleasing to the ear. In so doing, he helped to give Reggae and Dancehall music its unique sound.
He later met fellow musician, drummer Sly Dunbar, and the two became very good friends. In early to mid-1970’s, they teamed up to create the formidable musical duo, Sly and Robbie. They would go on the change the sound of Reggae and dancehall music forever. In 1974, they set up their own record label, Taxi Records. That was the beginning of the musical taxi juggernaut that transported so many fledgling artistes to stardom.
Shakespeare helped to deliver several notable records to the listening public. In fact, he is thought to have either played on or produced more than 200,000 recordings. His finger prints were all over the Wailers’ “Concrete Jungle”; Burning Spear’s “Marcus Garvey”; Ini Kamoze’s “Here Comes the Hot Stepper” and Black Uhuru’s “Red” albums. Over the year, he had also contributed to the works of Dennis Brown, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Black Uhuru, Yellowman, Sugar Minott, Daddy U-Roy, Beenie Man, Capleton and the Florida, USA based singer, Talmigila, among many others.
With Shakespeare and Dunbar working together, the two musical giants eventually built a repertoire that soon drew the attention of international audiences. The Taxi Gang, as they later called themselves, packed their instruments and strummed off to pastures new. The Taxi Gang zipped across the world, adding their unique musical flavours to the works of some of the most powerful names in international music. They have straddled the Pop world, working with Joe Cocker, Sting, Gary Barlow, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Armatrading, Sinead O’Connor, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Carly Simon and Grace Jones.
Shakespeare also contributed to the motion picture soundtrack album to the John Singleton’s 1993 film, Poetic Justice, starring Janet Jackson and Tupak Shakur. He played on the Chaka Demus and Plyers track, “I Wanna Be Your Man”, which was released on the album. The Poetic Justice soundtrack album peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200 Chart in August 1993.
In addition to making music for other artistes, Shakespeare produced albums of his own. These include: Language Barrier, Rhythm Killers, Taxi Fare, Rhythm Doubles, Dubrising and Friends. After being friends and making music for more than 4-and-a-half-decades, Shakespeare and Dunbar sped off with the Grammy Award for the Best Reggae Album in 1999. It was their unyielding friendship that brought them the award, as the album, “Friends”, edged out the other nominees.
12 years later, Shakespeare appeared in the BBC documentary, Toots and the Maytals: Reggae Got Soul, in 2011. The focus of the documentary was on the life and work of this musical giant, who passed away in September 2020.
Shakespeare’s departure from this mortal coil has left a gaping hole in the heart of Reggae and Dancehall music. So massive was his influence on the music of Jamaica that it might take decades to see his kind again.
Robbie Shapespeare's tribute on the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain Show.
Even though many of the younger artistes did not work with Shakespeare, they accept that his contributions to the Jamaica’s musical heritage were phenomenal.
As the music industry mourns Shakespeare’s leaving, Jamaicans were able to view his body on Sunday, 6th February 2022 at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston. The country’s Culture Minister, Olivia Grange, says she knows that Jamaicans have been waiting for a chance to say goodbye to Robbie, who along with Sly, has contributed so much to our music. A condolence book was also opened at the National Indoor Sports Centre.
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Shaun Cain is a journalist, author of the Reggae Larger than Life Fun and Games Book, voiceover talent and producer/presenter of the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain Interview Show on the Star Gazing with Shaun Cain YouTube channel.
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