At 29 years old, Keneil Delisser is living his dream.
He is the drummer for reggae stars Buju Banton and Skip Marley and he is over the moon about his roles.
“What I’m doing now is what I always wanted to do. I am living my dream and most people wish they could do that. God has blessed me that way and I give thanks and praises to him every day”.
He has been drumming for Buju Banton since he was 21 years old. For the man, affectionately called “Drumz” by his peers, music for him stated at birth.
“I was exposed to music from I was born and my development came through the church. I am from St Ann, the North Coast, and I lived close to the hotels so I would see musicians every day. There was a fire and a passion in me to do this and so I pursued it”, he said.
He attended Runaway Bay basic and all-age schools and Ferncourt High. As he acquired his early education his love for music grew and propelled him on to the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts where he majored in Jazz and Popular Music Studies.
While gaining theoretical knowledge he feels that it is the Jamaican culture that has helped him to define himself as a drummer.
“To be a reggae drummer you have to have the feel. Reggae is different from other genres. You have to live and experience it. You can give a foreigner a music score with the same details that you give a Jamaican and they play it as presented but it just doesn’t feel right. Music is shaped by culture and I believe the way we live is one of the biggest builders of how we express ourselves on instruments.”
While he has diligently improved on his own personal ability, he credits some of Jamaica’s greatest drummers with having an impact on his career. Chief among them is the late Sly Dunbar. But he also names Bob Marley’s drummer the late Carlton Barrett along with Style Scott and Squidly Cole as impresarios also.
Other notables of recent vintage are Shaggy’s drummer Mark Dawson and Kirk Bennett who once carried the sticks for reggae crooner Beres Hammond.
He reflects on Sly Dunbar with great fondness and appreciation. He names him as the biggest influence of all. “His bravery in music was exceptional. That’s why people remember him as one of the most creative drummers of his time. He wasn’t afraid to embrace technology. When the drum machine came in he embraced it with both arms and along with Robbie the bassist, he made many hit songs in the digital realm,” he said.
Sly was more than just an icon to him. “I could call him whenever I needed answers I and he was always responsive. Outside of his drumming, I realise that he got a lot of respect and it was vice versa. He was number one; at the top of the mountain but yet he remained so humble and grounded and it’s not often that you meet people like that,” he added.
“I have adopted many aspects of his playing. It’s like building a house and he was like the architect with the blueprint. Three quarters of the songs in reggae music were played by him. He played with different spirits for different artistes. He was truly authentic,” he said.
Drumz is one of the conceptualisers of the Tuesday Service live music event that takes place in Kingston every Tuesday night. It is an event where like-minded musicians get together and jam, often making space for vocal talents to showcase their skills.
“It has become very popular to the point where people don’t even have space to stand. It is a place where people can come and enjoy live music again,” he said.
As part of Reggae Month activities Tuesday Service will be celebrating its anniversary on February 24 at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, where a host of musicians will converge to play some good reggae music.
Not content with being just a drummer, the man who also plays for Skip Marley has embraced the business side of music and is a quite capable producer working with many artistes of the current generation. He has played on tracks by Buju Banton and John Legend, songs like Pressure and Lonely by Koffee and Carry Me Reggae Version by Romain Virgo and Kevin Downswell.
As a producer he has worked with Ras I, Imerhu Tafari, Panic, Jovi Jay, Chris Malacai and others on his record label Koastal Kings which he started in 2019.
How has life in the limelight been for this young musicpreneur? “I had been playing for Buju Banton while he was incarcerated but when he did his return concert before 40,000 persons at the national stadium I got a baptism. It prepared me for what I deal with now, sometimes playing for over 100,000 persons at festivals in Europe and America. I am comfortable with where I am and I know I belong here,” he said confidently.