Dennis Arthur Bernard Parsons
Gombey Festival Honouree, October 2024
Born on July 21, 1972, has spent his entire life deeply embedded in the rhythmic traditions of Bermuda’s Gombey culture. His Gombey journey officially began when he was just 8 years old, joining Place’s Gombeys, a group led by his father, Dennis Place. Yet, his love for drumming started much earlier—at the tender age of 2. “I started playing drums with Ms. Joell from 42nd Street, a military lady,” Dennis recalled. “She had a drum set on top of her house, and I used to play commercial drums. When she went downstairs, I would practice Gombeys. People would come running through the neighbourhood looking for the Gombeys and then realized it was just me playing around.”
In those days, Place’s Gombeys was only for adults but as the Captain’s child Dennis was allowed to join the troupe as a young dancer, “It was my Daddy’s group, a real family thing, so it was always very special. Because I was his son, I could come out and do my thing. But he was also very strict, and he had very high standards for me.”
Initially, Lawrence Stickers Hendrickson Jr. gifted Dennis a suit to wear for his dancing, as Stickers was needed on the drums. Within two years, Dennis was moved to Place’s drum line and quickly became increasingly responsible for the rhythm that carried his family troupe, “I had already taught my younger brother, Andre Parsons, how to play drums on the chairs at my mama’s house – we used to get licks for that! That set me up for a lifetime of teaching drums.”
At age 16, Dennis was promoted to lead drummer, a major responsibility for a young man in an ageing group. The lead drummer must be there for every performance and training, fix drums, tune them, and ensure the other drummers are organized. Dennis explained that early responsibility led him to define the sound of his family group, “When all my uncles, all the top drummers were gone, I had to redevelop the sound of Place’s. That was a lot for a young person. I was able to achieve that. A lot of the music that you hear today is stuff that I have developed to make the group sound good while keeping the traditional beat. Groups that come out of Place’s want to evolve their look and sound and have incorporated influences from the islands. While I am proud that the gombey tradition continues, I smile seeing where they come from.”
While it’s hard to ask any Gombey to pick favourites beyond their own troupe, there were a few stand-outs that Dennis recalls, “Dennis Place, Leon ‘Sparky’ Place, Gregory Place, Allan Warner, Willis Steede Sr., Andre Simons, Robert Wilson – he was a sharp dancer in his day, Tyrone ‘Funk’ Nesbitt, Termite Simmons, and Francis Llewellyn Spencer ‘Merry Mice’ Darrell.”
Reflecting on how Gombey culture has evolved, Dennis noted that while some things have changed, the essence of Place’s Gombeys remains the same, “Young people want to change and evolve into a new age of Gombey without knowing the history. We have to be careful what we add and subtract from the tradition. That’s why Place’s sticks to thetraditional—we honour the ancestral spirits that are a part of this art.” He believes deeply in preserving the original rhythms and practices, which he sees as sacred. “There’s a lot of secret things that go on in the Gombey world that people don’t understand.”
Dennis’ dedication to Gombeys extends beyond just performing. He made a heartfelt promise to his late aunt, Cherline, on her deathbed that he would never let Place’s Gombeys disappear. “We may go through troubles, and we may have smaller numbers, but this is a family group. I will do what I need to do to keep it alive.”
His Gombey skills have taken him beyond Bermuda’s shores, performing internationally in Spain, Germany, Barbados, the Bahamas, across the USA, and even had him drum for Queen Elizabeth II. One of his proudest moments was performing in a stadium in Germany that seated 500,000 people, “I’ve never seen so many people in one space. It was amazing to share our culture on such a large scale.”
Over the years, Dennis has not only advocated for Place’s Gombeys but has also shared his passion for drumming far and wide. His other drumming ventures include performing as the head drummer at Heritage Worship Centre for 21 years and at the Church of Prophecy. He assisted with drum lines and programming in Sandy’s Middle School, CedarBridge Academy, The Berkeley Institute, and at The Centre on Angle Street. He also founded several drumming initiatives including the Bermuda National Drumline Academy, the CDC Marching Ligars, and the Creative Drum Corps.
Dennis’ impact on the community extends to the football field, where he proudly supports the Devonshire Cougars. Born and raised on Palmetto Road, he often brings his drumming talents to the team’s games, energising the crowd with his rhythms.
For Dennis, drumming is more than just playing music; it’s about communicating and preserving a legacy. “You have to know how to listen, understand, and reply. Drumming is about communicating the same notes at the same time. When you understand that, you become a good drummer.” As he looks to the future, Dennis is determined to ensure that the next generation of Gombey drummers continues the traditions that have been passed down to him. “I recognize that if it isn’t me teaching the young people, I don’t know who it will be. So, it has to be me. I have to continue this craft.”
Today, as the lead drummer of Place’s Gombeys, Dennis remains a driving force in keeping Bermuda’s Gombey culture alive. Whether performing locally, sharing his skills internationally, or teaching the younger generation, his dedication to the art form is unwavering, “My passion is being able to teach this craft that I love to young people, hopefully in schools soon. I want to see more youth doing it and sticking to it. The basics of Gombeys are the basics – but then every group adds their own snares and flares to them – and I want to ensure that Bermuda’s young people are equipped to be able to do that. The culture must live on.”
