Dancehall DJ Tony Matterhorn is no stranger to Bermuda.

The 53-year-old Jamaican, known for hits such as Dutty Wine, has been visiting the island to perform for more than 30 years.

He is back again this month for Good Friday’s Unity Fest at Somerset Cricket Club.

The event, also featuring DJ Fire Blacks and Zaydo, is organised by Eshe Grant, of Vibe Dealer Promotions.

Ms Grant’s goal is to bring the community together through music.

“I want to celebrate our Caribbean heritage,” Ms Grant said. “I am a 36-year-old Pembroke resident who has been 100 per cent gutted by the senseless killings in Bermuda. Unity Fest is a big message for the whole island.”

Originally from Kingston, Tony Matterhorn (real name Dufton Taylor) was drawn to the music industry in high school and made a name for himself as part of the King Addies duo.

He became known for energetic performances in clubs all over the United States with his hardcore style winning the Dancehall World Cup in 2000. He broke into the mainstream market six years later with Dutty Wine. The song was heavily played on R&B and rap radio stations.

The late music promoter Choy Aming first brought him to the island to play at Clayhouse Inn, a thriving entertainment venue in Devonshire in the Nineties.

“That was a legendary place,” Tony Matterhorn said. “It was a monumental building. I watched Ninja Cutty and many others start out as entertainers there.”

He joked that Clayhouse Inn’s nickname was “Matterhorn’s House”.

“I played at Clayhouse more than any other international act,” he said. “I came once a month, for years.”

The place closed after a fire in 2002 and was demolished in 2020.

The entertainer said the music vibe in Bermuda had remained authentic.

“Bermudians know music,” he said.

He credited people such as Bermudian reggae veteran Souljah One, with maintaining the old school vibe while playing new tunes for the younger crowd, helping to pass on the love for the music to the next generation.

Tony Matterhorn felt having veterans active on the music scene was an important part of building a bridge between one generation and the next.

“If the dinosaurs were all dead, then you would not have anybody to do the transition,” he said. “You would only have the little, young selectors playing in the dancehall. If you have the young ones come to our dance, they have no choice but to learn the music.”

His advice to musicians just coming on to the scene is do it from the heart.

“Make sure you love the music,” he said. “Once you love the music, the music will love you back and you will last. Everything will fall into place.”

Tony Matterhorn said dancehall was in his blood and in his background.

“My dad used to be in music, so it was already in my DNA,” he said. “I started going around the world at a young age with my music. I am one of the pioneers.”

He started coming to Bermuda before all the big names did.

“When I came to the island to perform, the likes of Elephant Man and Buju Banton had not been to Bermuda yet,” he said. “The big artists arrived later.”

The artist said it had been good to see all the changes in Bermuda over the years.

“Most of them have been good,” he said. “I saw the history. If you were to write Bermuda dancehall music history, Matterhorn would have to be in it.”

He thought Bermuda had similar vibes to Jamaica.

“Bermudians and Jamaicans know how to party,” he said. “If you ask Elephant Man or all of those guys that were big in Bermuda, they will say that Bermuda was one of their favourite places in the world.”

He loves Bermuda’s passion for music and eclectic tastes.

“Most of the Caribbean islands are into dancehall and soca, but Bermudians are into international music,” he said. “They are so close to the United States but are so rooted by the British, European and Canadian side of things.”

One of his more memorable moments here happened a few years ago when he went to the studio to work with Souljah One.

“The guy at the studio had two giant dogs,” he recalled. “When I came up the steps they came running at me and pounced on me.”

They startled him and he dashed back down the steps.

“I did not see the dogs as lambs,” he laughed. “I saw them as lions. I was running down the stairs, missed a step and messed up my ankle.”

He performed at Clayhouse Inn that night with his leg up on a pillow.

“I was in pain, and had to take some painkillers before I went on,” he said.

He also remembered a sound clash between him and another frequent reggae visitor, David Rodigan.

Now he is looking forward to being on the island, once again.

“Coming to Bermuda, is like coming home,” he said.

Unity Fest will be held on April 18 in the Somerset Cricket Club parking lot. The gates open at 9pm. Tickets, priced $70, are available at www.gpass.bm and at the gate.