Dennis Bovell is a legendary reggae guitarist and music producer. He was born in 1953, in Saint Peter, Barbados, West Indies but moved to England with his family at the age of 12 where he became immersed in the vibrant reggae scene in London. He was a member of several British-based reggae bands, including Matumbi, and released dub and reggae discs under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard' Bovell is widely credited as one of the inventors of lover's rock, a style of reggae with light, apolitical, romantic lyrical themes marketed towards young women. He is also known for attempting to fuse disco rhythms with reggae, most notably with the hit song "Silly Games" by Janet Kay. He has produced albums by a wide variety of artists including I-Roy, The Thompson Twins, The Pop Group and The Slits. He has collaborated with dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson for much of his working life.
