Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff will be accorded an official funeral, Culture Minister Olivia Grange confirmed on Tuesday, with details to be announced shortly. The announcement came as the House of Representatives paid tribute to the singer, actor, and songwriter, who died on Monday at the age of 81.
Grange revealed that Cliff, whose real name was James Chambers, had left specific instructions “about how he wants Jamaica to say farewell to him.” She added that even just before his death, she had spoken with him about Hurricane Melissa, and he was looking forward to returning home to help in the rebuilding process, especially in his birth parish of St James.
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness described Jamaica as mourning “one of our greatest sons,” adding: “Jimmy Cliff has taken his final bow, but his voice will continue to echo in dancehalls and churches and quiet moments of reflection. His life reminds us that Jamaica’s creativity is indeed world class and that our stories, told in our language, our rhythm, are powerful enough to move the world.”
Opposition Leader Mark Golding said Cliff holds “a special place in Jamaica’s history” and “cannot be categorised like any other artiste that we have produced.” He called the singer “unique in his musical style and his image” and said The Harder They Come was “a work of art that I don’t think Jamaica has sufficiently acknowledged for the significant role that it played in bringing our culture, and our musical culture in particular, to the world, and Jimmy Cliff played a major role in that film.”
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett described Cliff as “a one-man global marketing campaign for Jamaica,” noting that his music brought many people from around the world to the island. Bartlett highlighted the renaming of Montego Bay’s Gloucester Avenue to Jimmy Cliff Boulevard and proposed renaming Somerton Primary School, which Cliff attended, to the Jimmy Cliff School of Excellence in the Arts for Primary Schools.
Cliff was celebrated for hits including Many Rivers to Cross, I Can See Clearly Now, The Rebel in Me, The Harder They Come, and You Can Get It If You Really Want. He also starred in the classic movie The Harder They Come, which remains a cultural touchstone both in Jamaica and internationally.
