Damián Beckford
Damián Beckford, called Dame by his family, was a Jamaican and Dominican American aspiring singer from Paterson, New Jersey. He was the eldest child of Nadine Beckford and Joaquín Peralta and the older brother of Nadia Beckford and Jaz. Damián encouraged Nadia’s singing and urged her to perform at her first open mic. He was shot and killed in Paterson in 2023 at approximately twenty-one years old.
Early Life and Musical Interests
Damián grew up in a household shaped by his Jamaican mother’s singing and his Dominican father’s music. Church music and reggae from Nadine’s side of the family shared space with merengue, bachata, and Spanish from Joaquín’s.
He sang and was the first of the children to pursue music after his mother. He was gay and had a boyfriend at the time of his death.
Relationship with Nadia
Damián heard Nadia singing quietly when she was young and encouraged her to sing openly. He affirmed her ability before she had performed publicly and pushed her toward her first open mic.
Nadia later connected some of her early music to Damián’s memory. She carried a recording of his singing and created the ‘’Fi Dame’’ playlist in remembrance of him.
Death
In 2023, Damián and his boyfriend were walking home in Paterson while singing along to music playing through his headphones. They were attacked, and Damián was shot and killed.
The available record did not establish whether the attack was random or targeted because Damián was openly gay and with another man. The case remained unresolved.
Legacy and Memory
Damián remained present in his family’s music and stories after his death. Nadia wrote and performed material connected to his memory, while Nadine continued to carry him through her singing. Nadia later taught her son, Raffie, about the maternal uncle he had never met.