Trinidadian dancehall artist Fari Dan, who proclaimed himself a member of Squash 6ix camp, was shot and killed.
Yet another Trinidadian dancehall artist has lost their lives to senseless gun violence. This time the small island of Tobago was rocked by gun violence when a man identified as N’kosi “Fari Dan” Bovell was shot and killed while liming at a bar on the island on May 15.
According to police reports, the shooting occurred close to 9 pm, and Bovell was said to be hanging out with friends at the Dutch Fort Restaurant and Bar in Scarborough. He was shot several times by two gunmen who approached him from behind. Police are investigating the shooting and have revealed that the murder was captured on CCTV footage.
Bovell was known on the island as a local dancehall artist. The genre is sometimes called Trinibad or Zess.
Fari Dan’s father, Curtis, spoke with local media and said while he did not believe his son was actually involved in any gang, he was aware that his son’s music usually paid homage to the 6ix gang. After hearing the details about the murder, his father also said that he believes his son was killed because of the company he was keeping.
He also explained that his son grew up in Bethel, Tobago, before deciding to move to Trinidad, where he lived at Moruga, Laventille, and Nelson Street, Port-of-Spain. Some of those areas have been identified as gang hotspots.
The distraught father continued on to say that besides his music career, his son was also interested in cooking and was a part-time service tutor at a government primary school in Tobago.
Bovell also spoke with Trinidad Newsday and pleaded with the killers to turn themselves in.
“Come and give up yourselves. Let the authorities know – tell them straight, because if you lie to me today, you will face it tomorrow when God comes. So, you have to tell the authorities who sent you, what Bovell has done to you for you to commit this crucial act,” he is quoted as saying.
He also shared that he was resting at home when he got the shocking news about his son. He said that his neighbor came calling and showed him a little photo on his phone. He added that he could not make out his son at first, but after some inspection, he realized it was his 28-year-old son. When the news sunk in, he said he bawled out in distress.
Bovell admitted that the incident is still very painful, not just for him but also for the rest of the family. He also said that there is nothing they can do about it now, and while he doesn’t want vengeance, he is hoping to get some justice for his son’s murder.
“I am not the parent that would swear that I had the best child. I am not saying that my child was involved in any illicit – you would hear all kinds of things but only God is the judge, I can’t judge,” he added.
While he had only been in the business for a few years, Fari Dan was building a name for himself. One of his most popular songs on YouTube, called “Gun Play,” has close to 300,000 views. Another one of his tracks, “6 Neva Die,” a tribute to Rebel Sixx, has passed the 300,000 mark.
Rebel Sixx was also a popular dancehall artist shot dead in his home in 2020. According to reports, the singer, whose real name is Kyle George, was gunned down at his home in Viceroy Crescent, Bon Air Gardens in Arouca, Trinidad.
He was a member of the Jamaican 6ix fraternity from Montego Bay, headed by Squash and includes Chronic Law, Daddy1, and others.
Curtis admitted that his son often went after other artists in his songs because he felt that their lyrics were too negative. He believes this may have also played some part in his son’s murder. Whatever the case, he said that he now has to live with the pain of losing his son.
