The Ska kings – Byron Lee and his Dragonaires
Byron Lee was the first bandleader to achieve an international following playing Jamaican music and did more to popularize ska and Jamaican music than any performer of the '60s.
When Bob Marley was a struggling young musician of the little-known Wailers, Byron Lee was probably the most well-known Jamaican bandleader in the world.
Lee was 20 years old when he formed his band the Dragonaires in 1956.
Touring behind Harry Belafonte, they became internationally famous with a top-class trumpet and sax section.
Excellent exposure followed when millions of people saw the James Bond movie, Dr. No (1962).
Largely shot in and around Kingston, the film featured Lee and the Dragonaires in a nightclub's choicest spot, playing the song "Jump Up".
A founding father of Jamaica Carnival
Touring throughout the Caribbean and into North America in the ‘60s, Lee spread the Ska sound and opened an agency that brought American acts such as the Drifters, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, and Fats Domino into Jamaica.
By 1969, Lee was the owner of the best recording studio in Kingston, and Dynamic Sounds became the most popular recording venue in the entire Caribbean, attracting the likes of the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, and Eric Clapton.
Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion," in particular, became a showcase for Lee's studio.
Lee and the Dragonaires’ music evolved from Ska to Reggae by the late '70s to the soca style, which delighted crowds at the annual Jamaica Carnival celebration.
By the 1980s, Dancehall took prominence in Jamaica and Lee differentiated his band with a new sound, soca. The popular 1984 hit, "Tiney Winey" released by his band, paved the way for many Caribbean people to appreciate the unique melodies of soca.
Lee's earthly journey came to an end in November 2008 when he lost his battle with cancer.
However, his undeniable contribution to Caribbean popular music can never be overstated.
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