UNITED STATES | Denver 'JAMUSA' Silvera celebrates His Diamond Jubilee in the music business

MIAMI, Florida, August 28, 2022 - Denver “JAMUSA” Silvera is this year, much like his native country Jamaica, celebrating his Diamond Jubilee, or sixty years in the music business, and he plans to do so in style, in his adopted home in South Florida where he rides the airwaves on WAVS 1170 AM. 

Silvera, a long-time South Florida resident, celebrates the milestone on September 4 with a party at Gold Choice Ballroom in the city of Margate entitled “JAMUSA’s 60th Year of Music Celebration.” 

Best known in Jamaica as a former selector with the popular Mello Canary sound system, he currently hosts 'Making Tracks With JAMUSA' on radio station WAVS 1170 AM where has been for the past thirty four years. 

Over the years JAMUSA has seen the popular station transformed from a Spanish-owned broadcast station, to South Florida’s leading source of Caribbean information which boasts other popular Jamaican presenters such as Winston Barnes and John “John T” Hodgson.

Born in Free Hill St. Mary, in Jamaica, Denver began his career in the music business in Oracabessa, under the guidance of  the Great Lawrence “Jack Ruby'' Lindo, operator of the incomparable “Jack Ruby Hi Fi”.

Ruby would later act as producer for Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey album.

Silvera migrated to New York in the sixties where he made a name for himself playing at the popular Carroll Street basement club in Brooklyn, made famous by a Winston Blake's tune of the same name  “Carroll Street”. In fact he earned the distinction of playing at the first official Jamaican nightclub in Brooklyn called El Tigre, while spinning for Imperial Faith, a New York ‘sound’.

Prior to his migration to New York, Silvera was a popular selector with Uptown Kingston sound systems such as Detroit Sounds Incorporated and Soul Syndicate, out of Havendale.

His first crack at broadcasting came in the early 1970s at WWRL in New York, a rhythm and blues station which boasted the likes of Jamaican presenters Jeff Barnes Jeff Dixon, and which aired a weekly reggae program with him and fellow Jamaican Karl Anthony. 

Returning to Jamaica in 1973, Denver played at the Top Hat Club next to Merritonne's popular Turntable Club on Red Hills Rd and hooked up with Mello Canary, an emerging sound system that cornered the middle-class party scene, with other selectors which included Lenworth “Squeeze” Samuels.

“Two things that made us so successful: We never followed what other sounds did and we created our own style. We incorporated different genres of music and built a system that was second to none with quality that matched the sound of a canary,” Silvera told Clinton Lindsay of Foundation Radio Network..

Silvera was still with Mello Canary when he moved to South Florida in 1978 where he played at numerous parties, clubs fundraising fetes and racked up numerous awards for his work in the entertainment arena, as he soon became a household name in entertainment, not only as a DJ but also as a much sought after master of ceremonies.

He was now participating in 90 percent of all concerts held in South Florida as an MC, and established himself in the field of entertainment, by working nightclub circles.

The region was largely virgin territory as far as reggae was concerned, despite the presence of Jamaican DJ Clint O’Neil and legendary radio presenter Marie Garth on the airwaves.

His WAVS association began as a relief DJ for the veteran broadcaster Marie Garth, eventually becoming a mainstay of the station which boasted other popular Jamaican hosts including Winston Barnes and John “John T” Hodgson.

Prior to his WAVS engagement, JAMUSA started his South Florida radio career on WDNA in south Miami where he did the night time slot. This was followed by a stint at WDNA in Ft. Lauderdale. Jamusa then went to WEDR, now 99Jamz doing a Reggae show on Sundays. 

In the late 80’s Ray Hooper employed JAMUSA at WAVS after he sat in for Marie Garth at the invitation of Winsome Charlton. The rest is ‘history’ as they say!

Making Tracks With JAMUSA is similar to Silvera’s time with Mello Canary. He plays a mix of Caribbean music which appeals to South Florida’s diverse community.

Singers Barry Biggs, Hal Anthony, Marcia Ball and Wayne Armond and sound system colleague Waggy T are billed to perform on JAMUSA’s 60th Year of Music Celebration.

Whether as a selector or disc jockey, the St Mary-born Silvera  says ‘making people happy’ over the years has been the reason for his longevity. “The simple joy of making people happy with my music is the secret to longevity,” and I never take this gift for granted. One gets only one chance in life to do what you do,” says Silvera.

Denver ‘JAMUSA’ Silvera is credited with transforming WAVS from a Latin to a Caribbean format radio station;Today, WAVS 1170 am is now the only legal 24 hour Caribbean Radio Station In Florida which  Now also broadcasts on FM107.9 in parts of Miami.

Among the long list of awards that Silvera has to his credit over the six decades, include being honored in 2013 by the Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) for his work with the Mello Canary Disco in creating the Southdale Plaza Street Jam and In 2014 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award By Best Of The Best.

Denver Silvera was recently honoured  with a Proclamation by the Board Of County Commissioners Of Broward County Florida making  January 21st 2018 Denver ‘JAMUSA’  Silvera Day in South Florida.

He still works at WAVS 1170 Wednesdays Thursdays & Fridays from 4-6pm.