Influential, talented and highly respected producer Sheldon ‘Shel Shok’ Benjamin has died from a rare form of cancer, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma which attacks the lymph nodes. Shel Shok had worked with top talent in the music business including Machel Montano, Alison Hinds, Destra Garcia and even General Grant.
Benjamin was at his Valsayn home under the care of his mother, when around mid-afternoon he began to slip away, not responding to attempts to revive him. It was thought that he had died then, but when the ambulance arrived the attendants found a pulse and Benjamin was rushed to the nearby Mt Hope Hospital but he eventually passed away.
Benjamin was considered one of the region's most prolific and visionary music producers having entered the arena in 1992 when he produced songs for most of the artistes signed to the Keskidee Karavan label of the Caribbean Sound Basin.
When he became too ill to continue working, Benjamin had produced at least a whopping 307 songs, most being hits that still command respect on radio stations and dancehalls today.
On Sunday, friends had organised a fund-raiser at Club Zen in Port-of-Spain to aid with medical expenses for the cancer-stricken music producer. Among those who had spent time with Benjamin and his parents June and Lennox in his final moments were Elizabeth Montano, mother and manager of soca artiste Machel Montano. She said, “We are happy most of us were able to share the last moments with him. Machel, Patrice, people from our band and Destra’s band. Destra’s manager Brian Morris was there. A lot of dancers were there. The good thing is he had people who cared for him during his last moments.”
He started with Kiskadee Karavan. His talent as a producer became widespread knowledge after he produced Montano’s Big Truck—a Road March winner. He has produced other hits like Xtatic’s Come Dig It, General Grant’s Soca Billboard and Third Base’s High.
He also earned a nomination for Best Producer at Trinidad and Tobago Music Awards earlier this year with Grant’s Dulahin. As his success soared, he worked with other artistes like LA Crew and Vision Band. He travelled extensively in the US, too.
