By Howard Campbell—
A tribute to Pablo—-THOUGH regarded as one of reggae’s visionaries, Augustus Pablo is largely unknown among the dancehall generation.
On Saturday, his music and contribution to reggae’s expansion, will be remembered through the Annual Augustus Pablo Tribute Show and Rockers International Dub Weekender’ at Countryside Club in Kingston.
Pablo (real name Horace Swaby) died in May 1999 at age 44.
Guitarist Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith, one of Pablo’s chief collaborators, will perform on the event with his Inna De Yard group.
Mikey General, Dre Island, Micah Shemiah, Exile di Brave, Spliffy Dan, Suns of Dub and Pablo’s daughter Isis Swaby are also on the bill.
Suns of Dub includes Pablo’s 24-year-old son Addis Pablo and Ras Jammy (Trinidadian Jamal Layne). The former spoke to the Jamaica Observer about the show’s significance.
“It’s important to pay homage to my father’s legacy because not much is known about him in Jamaica,” said Addis.
Isis Swaby, an artist, will present an exhibition of her work as well as photographs of her father, prior to the music segment.
Horace Swaby’s talent as a musician emerged while attending Kingston College during the 1960s.
He was still a teenager when he recorded the mystic instrumental, Java, in 1971. That decade he cut several cutting-edge songs and albums as artist and producer such as King Tubby’s Meets The Rockers Uptown and East of The River Nile.
As a producer, Pablo mentored and produced songs by a number of emerging artists including Hugh Mundell and Yami Bolo.
You must log in to post a comment.