About

Known credits:
9
Birthday:
1953-05-22
Place of birth:
N/A
Website:
N/A

Dennis Bovell

Overview

Dennis Bovell MBE (born 22 May 1953) is a Barbados-born reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer, based in the United Kingdom. He was a member of a progressive rock group called Stonehenge, who later changed name and became the British reggae band Matumbi, and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym Blackbeard. He is most widely known for his decades-spanning collaborations with Linton Kwesi Johnson.

Born in Saint Peter, Barbados, in 1953, Bovell moved to South London in 1965 and became immersed in Jamaican culture, particularly dub music, setting up his own Jah Sufferer sound system. Running the sound system brought trouble from the police and Bovell was imprisoned for six months on remand, but was later released on appeal. Bovell was friends at school with future rock musicians including keyboardist Nick Straker and record producer Tony Mansfield, both of whom later worked with Bovell. He was a member of a progressive rock group called Stonehenge, who later changed name and became the British reggae band Matumbi. He formed Matumbi in the mid-1970s.

Bovell also worked as an engineer at Dip Records, the precursor to the Lovers Rock label, and he was a key figure in the early days of the lovers rock genre. He is also known for attempting to fuse disco rhythms with reggae, most notably with the hit song "Silly Games" by Janet Kay. According to Bovell, he wrote "Silly Games" with the sole intent of it being a hit song.

He has produced albums by a wide variety of artists including Creation Rebel, I-Roy, the Thompson Twins, Sharon Shannon, Alpha Blondy, Bananarama, the Pop Group, Fela Kuti, the Slits, Orange Juice and Madness. He has collaborated with poet, Linton Kwesi Johnson for much of his working life.

In Steve McQueen's 2020 film Lovers Rock, the second in his five-part anthology series Small Axe, Bovell has a cameo role and his song "Silly Games" is prominently featured.

Bovell was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to music.

Known for

Acting

2022 Rebel Dread Actor Self N/A
N/A
2020 Lovers Rock Actor Milton 59
Average
2020 White Riot Actor 59
Average
2018 Here to be Heard: The Story of The Slits Actor Self 58
Average
2015 Lee Scratch Perry's Vision of Paradise Actor 59
Average

Sound

2000 Sud Side Stori Sound Music 59
Average
1983 Slayground Sound Music Score Producer 58
Average
1980 Babylon Sound Music Arranger 59
Average
1979 Dread Beat and Blood Sound Musician 58
Average