Augustus Pablo

Infobox musical artist
Name = Augustus Pablo


Img_capt =
Img_size =
Landscape = solo_singer
Background = non_performing_personnel
Birth_name = Horace Swaby
Alias =
Born = June 21, 1953
Died = May 18, 1999
Origin = St. Andrew, Jamaica
Instrument = Keyboard, melodica
Voice_type =
Genre = Roots reggae, dub
Occupation = Record producer, instrumentalist
Years_active = 1970s – 1999
Label =
Associated_acts = Now Generation
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Horace Swaby (June 21, 1953 – May 18, 1999), better known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer and keyboardist, active from the 1970s onwards. He was perhaps the first person to use the melodica as a viable musical instrument. He was known for his devotion to the spiritual Rastafari movement.

Life and career

He was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica and learned to play the organ in Kingston College School. It was at that point an unnamed girl lent him the melodica. Fascinated by the instrument, Pablo rarely put it down. He also met Herman Chin Loy, who after working at his cousin Leslie Kong's "Beverley's" record shop, had set up his own "Aquarius" store in Half Way Tree. Swaby recorded early 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.Larkin, Colin: "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", 1998, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9] The name Augustus Pablo had previously been used by the producer for many of the discs he produced featuring a keyboards player,Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-85828-247-0] and Swaby took the name for this recording.

"East of the River Nile", a unique blend of East Asian and Jamaican sounds, became a moderate hit. Augustus Pablo popularized the use of the melodica (an instrument used primarily to teach children music in the Jamaican public schools) in reggae music. He soon joined Now Generation (Mikey Chung's band) and played the keyboard with them while his friend, Clive, began his own career as a record producer. Pablo and Chin recorded "Java" (1972) together, as soon as Pablo quit Now Generation and Clive was able to get the studio time, the instrumental was a massive hit, and launched Pablo's solo career. He recorded with Chin and various others, including Leonard Chin, his uncle, and Lee Perry. He scored another smash hit with "My Desire" (John Holt).

Pablo formed labels Hot Stuff, Message and Rockers (named after his brother's soundsystem, Rockers), and released a steady stream of well-received instrumentals, mostly versions of older hits from Studio One. In spite of his success with Rockers, Pablo's seminal 1974 album, "This Is Augustus Pablo" was recorded with Clive and Pat Chin. This was followed by a collaboration with the legendary reggae engineer King Tubby to great acclaim, releasing 1975's "Ital Dub".

In the later 1970s, Pablo produced a steady stream of hits, including the hit "Black Star Liner" (Fred Locks). He also worked with Dillinger, Norris Reid, I-Roy, Jacob Miller, Te -Track, The Immortals, Paul Blackman, Earl Sixteen, Roman Stewart, Lacksley Castell, The Heptones, Bob Marley, Ricky Grant, Delroy Williams,Junior Delgado, Horace Andy and Freddy McKay. This period was eventually commemorated with critically acclaimed LP's including "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown" (1976) and Hugh Mundell's classic "Africa Must be Free by 1983". This was followed by "East of the River Nile" (1978), "Original Rockers" (1979) and "Rockers Meets King Tubby in a Firehouse", another acclaimed hit album.

In the 1980s, Pablo's career slowed significantly. In 1980 he could be seen in the documentary D.O.A. (1980 film). He had begun to establish an American audience, and released "Rising Sun" in 1986 to good reviews and sales. Pablo also produced memorable hits, including "Ragamuffin Year" (Junior Delgado), "Humble Yourself" (Asher & Tremble) and "Far Far Away" (Ricky Grant). In addition, Pablo toured extensively throughout the world, making a memorable live album in Tokyo in 1987. That same year, "Rockers Come East" re-established his career, and he began to release a series of critically acclaimed though somewhat inaccessible albums in the 1990s, including "Blowing With the Wind" and also producing several, such as "Night & Day" (Dawn Penn) and "Jah Made Them All" (Yami Bolo).

Pablo died as a result of a collapsed lung on May 18, 1999. He had been suffering for some time from the nerve disorder Myasthenia gravis.

He has a daughter named Isis, and a son named Addis.

In the summer of 2008, The Mystic World of Augustus Pablo: The Rockers Story (box set) was released which includes a 4 discs, bio booklet, and dvd - video footage. Also, it is avaliable on iTunes, and amazon.com.

For more updates on Augustus Pablo - go to officialaugustuspablo.com.

Selected discography

* "This Is Augustus Pablo" 1973
* "Ital Dub" 1974
* "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown" 1976
* "East of the River Nile" 1978
* "Original Rockers" 1979
* "Africa Must Be Free Dub" 1979
* "Rockers Meets King Tubby in a Firehouse" 1981
* "Earth's Rightful Ruler" 1983
* "Thriller" 1974
* "King David's Melody" 1982
* "Rising Sun" 1986
* "Rebel Rock Reggae" 1986
* "Rockers Come East" 1987
* "Eastman Dub" 1988
* "Presents Rockers Story" 1989
* "Blowing with the Wind" 1990
* "Presents Rockers International Showcase" 1991
* "El Rockers" 2000
* "JAH Inspiration" 2001
* "In Fine Style" 2003
* "The Great Pablo" 2001
* "The Essential Augustus Pablo" 2005
* "Skanking With Pablo" 2003
* "Meets Lee Perry" 2002
* "Dubbing With The Don" 2002
* "Authentic Golden Melodies" 1992

References

External links

* [http://officialaugustuspablomusic.com officialaugustuspablomusic.com] Official site
* [http://www.elrockers.org/ elrockers.org] Fan site