Augustus Pablo | |
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| Birth name | Horace Michael Swaby[1] |
| Born | (1953-06-21)21 June 1953 St. Andrew, Jamaica |
| Died | 18 May 1999(1999-05-18) (aged 45) |
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| Years active | 1970s–1999 |
Horace Michael Swaby (21 June 1953 – 18 May 1999),[2] also known asAugustus Pablo, was a Jamaicanroots reggae anddub composer, performer,record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was active from the 1970s until his death. He was known for playing themelodica.
He was born inSt. Andrew, Jamaica, and learned to play the organ at the Kingston College School, where a girl lent him a melodica. He also metHerman Chin Loy, who after working at his cousinLeslie Kong's Beverley's record shop, had set up his own Aquarius store inHalf Way Tree. Swaby recorded several tracks, including "Higgi Higgi", "East of the River Nile", "Song of the East" and "The Red Sea" between 1971 and 1973, for Chin-Loy's Aquarius Records.[3] Chin Loy had previously used the name Augustus Pablo generically for keyboard instrumentals recorded byLloyd Charmers andGlen Adams,[4][5] and Swaby took the name for this recording.
He soon joined Now Generation (Mikey Chung's band) and played keyboard with them while his friendClive Chin began his own career as a record producer. Pablo and Chin recorded "Java" (1972) together[3] after Pablo quit Now Generation. He has recorded with Chin and Chin's uncle,Leonard Chin, andLee Perry. Pablo formed the labels Hot Stuff, Message and Rockers (named after his brother'ssoundsystem, Rockers). Pablo's 1974 albumThis Is Augustus Pablo was recorded with Clive and Pat Chin. This was followed by a collaboration withKing Tubby in their 1975'sItal Dub.
Pablo produced a number of songs in the 1970s, including "Black Star Liner" (withFred Locks).[6] He has also worked withDillinger,I-Roy,Jacob Miller,The Immortals,Paul Blackman,Earl Sixteen,Roman Stewart,Lacksley Castell,The Heptones,Bob Marley,Delroy Wilson,Junior Delgado,Horace Andy andFreddy McKay.
With Jacob Miller, he recorded "Baby I Love You So" in 1974. Pablo'sdub version of the song, titled "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown", was mixed by sound engineer King Tubby. It was named the 266th greatest song of all time byRolling Stone.[7]
Pablo later released a few LPs, includingKing Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown (1976) andHugh Mundell'sAfrica Must Be Free by 1983. This was followed byEast of the River Nile (1978),Original Rockers (1979) and another album,Rockers Meets King Tubbys in a Firehouse. In 1980, he appeared on the soundtrack of the documentaryDOA. He releasedRising Sun in 1986. He also toured throughout the world, recording a live album in Tokyo in 1987.
In 1997, he played melodica onPrimal Scream's single "Star".[8]
Augustus Pablo died as a result of a collapsed lung on 18 May 1999.[9] He had been suffering for some time from the nerve disordermyasthenia gravis.[10]
Pablo was aRasta.[11] His son,Addis Pablo, followed him into a career in music, as did his daughter, Isis Swaby.[12]
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He died in a Kingston hospital on Wednesday may 19th 1999 after being admitted the previous week with a collapsed lung and spending the interim period on a life support system.
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