Kukudoo laid to rest at Ranny Williams as posthumous album The Journey nears August release

Clad in green — a shade long linked to the late artiste — mourners filled the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on Sunday for the last rites of David McDermott, the singer and revivalist known as Kukudoo. Officials, relatives, friends and supporters turned out in force for the ceremony.

McDermott, who died in May, was remembered in a send-off that ran for almost four hours and centred on song. What began as a funeral soon took on the character of a revival meeting, with worshippers dancing, singing, chanting, stomping and spinning as the tribute unfolded.

Music framed the entire afternoon. Manager Nicholas Marks used the occasion to introduce a preview of Kukudoo’s forthcoming legacy project, The Journey. The 10-song set is scheduled for release on August 19 and spans reggae, dancehall, soca, Afrobeats, revival and mento, reflecting the artiste’s bid to widen his sound and outlook.

Attendees heard selections from the new collection — among them Amen, Journey My Jesus, Incredible God, and Come Down and Deliver Me — while a video montage of career highlights and personal moments played for the crowd.

In the eulogy, niece Latifah Smith said her uncle’s voice had been an instrument God used to change lives. “His mother was his first inspiration as Pauline possessed a beautiful singing voice and faithfully ministered through music in churches, set-ups and community concerts. Although he often joked that he wanted little to do with church in his younger years, it is evident that his mother’s prayers never stopped following him and even while he pursued secular music, God was preparing him for a greater purpose,” Smith said.

She pointed to his mother’s death as a turning point. “When he was invited to sing at her former church, he chose an old gospel hymn, a favourite of his, Loveth Thou Me. During that performance, something extraordinary happened. What began as a song became an encounter with God and in that sacred moment, the seeds his mother had planted began to spread. After an incident that placed him in isolation, he had time to reflect and drew closer to God. David made one of the most important decisions in his life and fully surrendered his heart to Christ. What followed was not merely a career change but a divine calling,” she said.

Smith also recalled that Kukudoo had not set out to work in gospel, but that the “encouragement of musicians who recognised God’s hand upon his life” helped him see that “his voice was never simply intended for entertainment, but for ministry”.

State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alando Terrelonge, speaking in tribute, cast Kukudoo as a living link to Jamaica’s African roots. “He kept that tradition of African revivalism alive in Jamaica. His energy was just magnetic. He was kumina, he was gerreh, he was a cultural phenomenon, and all of Jamaica must give him thanks for the legacy that he has left behind,” he said. “I was told that in another life, he was a sound system operator before he embraced the spirituality for which he is known, and boy, God never do a better thing. I think it was Saul that God touched on the road to Damascus, and He touched Kukudoo playing dancehall selections and said ‘You are going to hide yourself in Me’.”