Best remembered for his days of organising the Harlem Rock Festival, Loftus Emmanuel is being hailed by members of his community Newtown as a great man.
The promoter and activist who was diabetic, died at the Princess Margaret Hospital on Wednesday.
“He was friends with greats like Jeff Joseph and he too was great. He sold our local music and pushed for the recognition of cadence” one Newtown resident explained to DNO as he paid tribute to the deceased Rastafarian.
Another told DNO “although I was very young at the time I remember him for the show Harlem Rock Festival which he always organised. It was a great success both local reggae bands and cadence bands were highlighted for the first time.”
The Harlem Rock Festival was a show organised by Emmanuel along with others such as Jeff Joseph where local music such as cadence was highlighted.
The festival placed the Newtown community in the spotlight.
A younger resident explained “I don’t know much about him though, I just always knew him as a Rastafarian. He represented what all Rastafarians should. He always appeared peaceful and humble.”
Emmanuel was well known among music fans.
He sold CDs of local music from various reggae and cadence bands at his local business on Cork Street and at his stall in the old Roseau market.
He passed away Wednesday morning after suffering from diabetic related complications.
yaa my man is a icon d.a people need to looking to wat he did @stand for @ follow his example.my his sprit run free wah da da doc uk
i grew up musically at harlem jam plaza and spent a lot of time around lofty who became a truly inspirational guide to me . we never lost tht friendship and close bond.
let his spirit leave on in deeds, not only words. let his legacy and love for dominican music nevr whither away.
RIP Lofty.
Support and respect to the immediate family of Lofty ! He will be be greatly missed. I can feel the gap.Lofty has been one of the Greatest advocates for Dominican musicians. Fly my bredren,, JAH BLESS and JAH Watch Over !!
THOSE EMMANUEL VIA THEIR MOTHER EFFEL AND THOSE DOMFRAIDS CAME FROM AMONGST THE LARGEST FAMILY IN NEWTOWN AND DOMINICA….EFFEL ( LOGTUS MUM ), BOAD, VIO ETC ALL CAME FROM william aka paywin Mitchel family. These people were/are very adventurous and hard working>>>>>>so its no surprise that most of them are self employed entrepreneurs such as, Tokey,Ma baba, Sukies and Egbert Charles all who cam from the same bloodline.
People in Newtown must be very fortunate to have LOFTUS AMONGST THEM.hE WAS INDEED A GREAT dOMINICAN and will be missed a great deal.
We do hope that the DFC work with his family to organise a grand tribute for loftus.
Well DNO please get into contact with the DFC people and ask them if theyre considering a way to pay tribute to this great cultural icon. Dont just leave it for the family etc he worked quite hard in difficult times to push our culture…..so DNO please contact dem and let the world know what they say! They may delay you and say we will get back to you hence playing for time and by dem he would have been buried. THE DCa calypso gave SPIDER a great send off! LOFTI was a great carnival band organiser and won many awards!
To quote the poet Henry Wordsworth Longfellow in his poem the PSALM OF LIFE;; Lives of great men all reminds us that we should make our lives sublime, and departing leave behind us footprints on the sands of time’Foot prints that perphaps another sailing over life solemn mein , a forlorn and shipwreck brother seeing shall take heart again.Loftus Lofty Emmanuel has surely left those big feet of his indelibely planted on the Dominican Soil. what more can be said , what more hasnot been said, praises to a life lived, a life fulfilled by contributing. SO long farewell I hate to see you go ,so long farewell . So long farewell , RIP . I am wiping my eyes as i write this Ode to a Brother ,still remembering the words of the poem”the boast of heraldy , the pomp of power . and all that beauty ,all that wealth ever gave ….. awaits the inevitable hour , the path of glory leads but to the grave. So long farewell rasta Jah is waiting .Blessed be his name.
Use to buy music from Lofty at the Old Market Plaza. May he R.I.P.
A real humble man. An inspiration to all. Loftus and his Harlem brethren inspired the festival movement in South City which helped tremendously to foster peace between the warring Kapasa and Howlings burgeoning gangs. May his good works live forever.
rest in peace lofty
siperty from gerard richards and family
This country has lost a great patriot Iremember loftus oorganised the Historical Halem Festival in Newtown fornerly Pottterville.Where i witness the popular Cadence Gold bands in the early 70s.My condolences to his family.May his soul RIP
Newtown was Pottersville? I must have been gone too long, I don’t remember that?
you so right
newtown was never pottersville
where they getting nuh
shocks man
lofti causing things papas
may he rest in sweet peace
greatman
surely and soarly missed
please note the HARLEM ROCK FESTIVAL TOOK PLACE AND ONE VENUE NEWTOWN SAVANNAH OK PAPAS GET YOUR RECROD STRAIGHT IT ALSO HOSTED THE CARIVAL FINALS ONCE WHEN SPIDER SAND SANKEY AND SHILO ( WRITTEN BY BERTIE RIVIERE FROM HARLEM NEWTOWN)
Lofty was a pioneer in the HARLEM development of New Town. That’s his legacy. He was mostly well intentioned and a friend to many of us. May his soul rest in peace. Rasta.
Hail Rastafari. Peace be unto you. Tou were a good brethren. Loved and promoted your country. Jah bless. RIP. Condolence to your family.
Heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends. May he rest in peace. Amen!
Rest rasta RIP..
May your soul rest in peace brother Lofty! You gave me my first oppotunity on stage respect to you and my condolences to your family and friends everywhere Blessing!
now that’s a man a lot of people comming down on vacation fron far and near going to miss,if he don’t have what you want,he will tell you where to get it.lots of people would recomend him to their friends and family when they comming to DA.
what a great loss for his friends and family.
may they hold strong; jah knows best.
Rest in Peace …
R.I.P LOFTY WILL BE REMEMBERED
may he R.I.P. He did a lot for dominica’s music not just in dominica.I will remembr in the 90’s traveling to new york’s labour day jams night after night promoting D/A’s music.condolances to his friends and family.great icon.
I will certainly miss him at the vendors market at the old market. He always supplied me with local music. He never sold pirate material. Always the original from the artist. A true friend of the artist.
I remember having been at a tough cross-road in my life and about to do something real stupid…this humble rastafarian who was stranger to me intervened, and today I am happy that I listened.
JAH GUIDE RASTA…..COOL RUNNINGS.
It is with great sadness that I am learning of the demise of our brother-in-arms, Loftus Emmanuel aka Lofty.
AS the editorial says, he was the founder of the Harlem Jam plaza and the Harlem Rock Festival. Although he was of an older generation than me as regards Rastafari, I had the distinct pleasure of working with him on a number of occasions.
He was always willing to lend his expertise to the Rastafarian community when ever we would organize African Liberation day exhibitions, whether in his adjoining Harlem Jam Plaza in Newtown, the Pottersvielle savanah or Carnival city.
I mostly remember him though, for his input on the 9th and 10th Bob Marley Awareness Day celebrations organised by myself in 1990-91. He it was, that was recommended by cultural officer, Sobers Esprit to help me to get the concerts on the way. Using his connections with the reggae bands in Dominica. Needless to say, resulting in a tremendous success.
Lofty, has a long association with the promotion of Reggae in Dominica working with the likes of the founder of the now defunct Frontline bookstore deceased Edddie Toulon in bringing an array of Jamaican reggae artistes to Dominica, including Ziggy Marley, Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer, Denis Brown etc.
A massive gap has opened up with the passing of Loftus Emmanuel in his particular sphere of influence.
Our hearts go out to his immediate family, friends and fans of the man.
Albert and Tempie
He was for ever humble, never raise his voice,I was happy to have met him, I always check on him when I am home on vaction , from California, he will be missed, my condolences to his family.
A native son in Cali.
Thank you so much for your comments and condolences, we do appreciate it all!….Thanks comming from his 4 brothers, 3 children,3 sis. inlaw, many, many cherished friends, people like: Martin “Phantom” Dale, Lenard “Toes” Antoine, Christian “Georgie” George, Julian”Julie” Alexander, Cliveland “Cakes” Hazel, Eric “Zey” James, …soooo many more!!..We are in tears all the time knowing that we will not see him here again, but seeing and hearing your comments and well wishes does alot to give us strength!!!..THANK YOU VERY KINDLY…..Pauline “Lady Tashika” Baly