Jimmy Cliff to be accorded an official funeral

Culture minister Olivia Grange says reggae legend Jimmy Cliff is to be accorded an official funeral, the details of which will be announced shortly.

As the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon paid tribute to the singer, actor and songwriter, who died on Monday at age 81, Grange said Jimmy Cliff left specific instructions "about how he wants Jamaica to say farewell to him".

Grange said even just before his death, she had conversations with Jimmy Cliff about Hurricane Melissa and he was looking forward to returning home to help in the rebuilding process, especially in the parish of his birth, St James.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said Jamaica was mourning "one of our greatest sons".

"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," Holness said.

For his part, Opposition Leader Mark Golding said Jimmy Cliff holds a special place in Jamaica's history and "cannot be categorised like any other artiste that we have produced". Golding said he was unique in his musical style and his image.

" The Harder They Come is 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," Golding said.

Tourism minister Edmund Bartlett described Jimmy Cliff as a one-man global marketing campaign for Jamaica, noting that his music brought many people from across the world to Jamaica. Bartlett highlighted the renaming of Montego Bay's Gloucester Avenue to Jimmy Cliff Boulevard and proposed renaming the Somerton Primary School, which Jimmy Cliff attended, the Jimmy Cliff School of Excellence in the Arts for Primary Schools.

The reggae icon, whose real name was James Chambers, was known for hits such as 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 the in classic movie The Harder They Come.

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