DANIEL...We are going to start marketing a Dennis Brown product line...(including) clothing, jewellery and other memorabilia, through Cooyah. We want to keep his memory alive.

Daniel Brown, son of the late Reggae icon, Dennis Brown, has his hands full these days. With an album still in the making, three modelling contracts in London and the USA, and plans afoot to develop a Dennis Brown product line, the 20 "something" year-old, British born is also preparing for the launch of an annual tribute to his father in London.

This tribute and memorial, he told TeenAge, "will coincide with International Reggae Day which is July 1". It will run concurrently with a similar tribute which takes place each year in New York.

Daniel explained, "We are not limiting ourselves to Jamaica alone, we are branching out. We have to reach out to the people who appreciate what my father stood for, not only reggae but his character, and personality." Strangely, he said, a great many fans of Dennis still do not know that he died, almost three years ago.

Brown's sisters: Dinah, Marla, Deniece who have a group called 'Golden Brown', Dunisha and his brothers Jason and David will all be participating in the tribute. Daniel is the only member of the family who now lives in Jamaica. He became a naturalised Jamaican citizen shortly after his father's passing, and lives alone in Kingston with his cats, dogs and fishes. "I am actually comfortable being here. Youths there are sheltered ... it's all work and home (in London). Out here there is more freedom."

His album is "only halfway" he said. It's been a while in the making, but he is not rushing it. So far it has been a tremendous learning experience for him, thanks, he says, to his mentors, Beres Hammond, the Marleys, Morgan Heritage, Gregory Isaacs and John Holt.

Daniel shared how he became drawn into producing music, after his father died. At the time he was actually a short way to completing his teacher training diploma at the Edna Manley College. "I found it difficult to go back (to school), I became drawn to music." However he is determined that he will complete the programme, to fulfil a long-time ambition to teach art, "but that will come, eventually, with time."

The Dennis Brown Foundation earlier this month, gave away five scholarships to students of Central Branch All-Age and are planning to hand over additional scholarships to an undetermined number of tertiary level students to pursue studies at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts and the University of the West Indies.

Trousers in Denim

Cream of the 'Crop'

Cheeky's World