Hospitalised in Miami to treat a cancer diagnosed two years ago, Byron Lee was back on his native island to be decorated, at the age of 73, with the Order of Jamaica, the fourth highest Jamaican distinction. Among those attending the ceremony was Bruce Golding, the Prime Minister of Jamaica. The award was given to him for his body of work (essentially made up of covers) and his contribution to the development of Jamaican music, of which he was one of the pioneers.
It was in the early 1950s that Byron Lee, a bass player, launched his band, the Dragonaires, in reference to the coat of arms of his school, St George's. At the time, it was calypso that made the island dance, and the group scored several hits, including Dumplings, produced by… Edward Seaga, future leader of the conservative Jamaica Labour Party and Prime Minister from 1980 to 1989.
The band's real hour of glory came with the advent of ska in the early 1960s. Appearing in the film "Dr. No" in 1962, they toured the USA, Canada and the Caribbean relentlessly and were even preferred to the Skatalites, in 1964, as ambassadors of ska (!).
In 1969, Byron Lee bought West Indies Records Ltd from Edward Seaga and renamed it Dynamic Sounds, which would become one of the best-equipped studios in Jamaica, and above all a gateway to the USA, welcoming the Rolling Stones (for their album "Goats Head Soup" in 1973), Johnny Nash, Paul Simon and Eric Clapton, among others. From the late 1970s, Byron Lee turned towards soca, and he is the originator of Jamaica Carnival, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.