Kent Henry, born in February 1963, grew up on Roberts Avenue, when Palmetto Road was not yet built and the neighbourhood was full of Gombey energy. His neighbours included Boxcart Norford, who later passed his troupe to Joe Rhoda, as well as Eugene “Pond Dog” Parsons and Sheridan Castle. John “Pickles” Spence lived close by, and his Carnival Gombeys practised right across the street. Kent remembers going over to rehearsals with the Castle brothers and being corrected by Pickles himself, who insisted that even a boy had to “do it properly.”
As a child, Kent could be found drumming on any surface available to him, whether a table, a conga, or even school supplies. In primary school, like most boys, he wanted to be a Gombey dancer, but he laughed that he only ever performed in his backyard. As he grew older, he was increasingly drawn to the drummers. “It was a pleasure to watch and a pleasure to listen,” he recalled.
The first time he played publicly was in December 1988, after months of practising with Dennis “Chicken” Place’s troupe, Places Gombeys. Lawrence “Stickers” Hendrickson Jr., his close friend and teacher, introduced him to the group’s captain. Kent spent weeks honing his skills before stepping into the line on Boxing Day. He recalls being nervous. Back then drummers were chosen carefully, and one had to show real talent before being trusted with the responsibility. “The drummers were really sharp,” Kent said, “They didn’t take just anybody. You had to show exceptional natural ability before they let you play.”
Holidays always carried a special anticipation. “Before May 24, Boxing Day, or New Year’s Day, I would hear Eugene Parsons outside tuning his drum. That sound alone built the excitement. You knew the celebration was about to start.”
Music was central to Kent’s upbringing. His father was a singer, and Kent spent much of his youth listening to the Stylistics, the Chi-Lites, Marvin Gaye, and other 1970s soul artists spinning on the family record player. This foundation of rhythm and melody shaped his ear for drumming, which he combined with lessons from elders and inspirations he followed closely. He admired figures like Philip “Marlo” DeShields; Charles “Nature Boy” Wade; Henry “Grother” Wilson; Mr. Stevens; John “Pickles” Spence; Gerald “Beesie” Greene; Roy Young; Allan Warner; George Richardson; Winston “Daddy Yella” Lambe and his brother Sammy Lambe; Francis Llewellyn Spencer “Merry Mice” Darrell; Gary “Gappa” Wade; and many more.
And then there was Hubie Brown. Kent remembers one moment clearly: “We came up from North Shore, passed Hubie’s house, and he came outside with his drum. He played one pattern, just one note, and the whole music changed. The air shifted. A whole aura settled on us. From that day, I understood that drumming was about more than rhythm, it was about spirit.”
Kent also witnessed a major shift in drumming styles during his lifetime. “When I was young, rim shots were played with one hand as part of a pattern, and when combined they made one beautiful sound. In the late eighties and early nineties, I remember players like Stickers and Gappa began experimenting with both hands on the rim. That was the beginning of a new style. Over time it became part of the sound.”
Through the years, Kent played with several troupes, beginning with Places Gombeys before moving to Hendrickson & Nesbitt Gombeys, which later became H&H Gombeys. He spent more than a decade helping to rebuild drum lines and shape the sound after the loss of key players. He carried forward traditions while adding his own interpretation of the art. After studying abroad, he returned to continue with Places Gombeys before helping to launch Phoenix Gombeys in 2023, where he now serves as president.
For Kent, being a drummer has always meant more than simply playing. It involves repairing and tuning drums, teaching younger players, and leading people. “You can play the music, but you have to make everyone around you better,” he explained. “Sometimes you are not the leader. You have to sacrifice a little of yourself to enhance the sound of the whole group.”
“I let my drum do the talking,” he added.
His philosophy as a teacher is simple: mastery takes time. “I tell the young drummers, you speak English, but my vocabulary is more advanced than yours. As you mature, we can have a more mature conversation. Until then, we will communicate at the level you understand. You have to work hard to get there.”
His drumming has carried him far. In 1995, he travelled with H&H Gombeys to St. Kitts and Nevis, reconnecting with his own family roots there. He has performed before Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, recalling the Prince’s recognition of the kente print in their regalia. He remembers the intensity of the competitions held at Belmont, where troupes pushed themselves to the highest levels.
The debut of Phoenix Gombeys was another milestone. “We did not move until the spirit told me we had the okay,” he said. “When I see these young guys play — mercy — they are the future. To see them excel is gratifying. When the torch is passed, you want to know it is going to someone who will carry it forward.”
Kent has also given much to his community beyond the Gombeys, long involved in the Devonshire Recreation Club and serving in ministries at the First Church of God. Yet through joy and hardship, the Gombeys have remained a constant. When his mother passed away just before Bermuda Day one year, he found release in joining the parade despite his grief. “When I played, I could release some of the pain I was carrying. In moments like that, I felt her presence with me.”
Now leading Phoenix Gombeys, Kent sees his role as both steward and mentor. He believes in guarding the sacred traditions while allowing space for new interpretations, reminding younger drummers that true mastery takes patience, respect, and time. “This culture is a gift, and we have to respect it. You cannot just show up and expect to be handed everything. You have to earn it.”
As he reflects on his life’s work, Kent is proud to have been part of shaping the sound of multiple troupes and teaching countless young men along the way. “Gombeys is life,” he said. “It is a part of the Bermudian culture. It gives us the chance to embrace who we are, to share, to teach, and to grow. It has carried me through every season of my life, and it will always be my way of giving back.”
He added with a smile, “We do not always get recognition. But if, even for a moment, the crowd feels joy, if we get them moving, then we have done our job. That joy is the real reward.”
