VETERAN SINGER PABLO BROWN IS BACK IN THE GAME WITH A NEW SINGLE, “SWEET REGGAE MUSIC!”

By Howard Campbell—

Pablo Brown

Ason of Waterhouse, Pablo Brown was stung by the music bug that buzzed throughout that community during the early 1970s. But after releasing several songs, he gave up hopes of making it as a singer and migrated to the United States.

Three years ago, Brown returned to the recording booth because, “Di music still inna mi”. He recorded a handful of songs including Sweet Reggae Music which was released in November.

Brown rediscovered a passion for music after retiring five years ago as a driver in the New York public transport system and moving to Florida. Tougher Than Stone, released in 2019, was his first song in almost 40 years.

“Wi had di songs so wi jus’ get di musicians together an’ do wi ting. It was a great vibe in di studio an’ I think yuh can hear dat on di songs,” said Brown.

Taking a second crack at recording songs is a personal achievement for Brown (born Leslie Brown) who came of age in a Waterhouse bursting at the seams with musical talent. His contemporaries included Errol Dunkley, who was an established singer; Don Carlos and Alrick Lansfield, known in music circles as Gold.

Along with Carlos and Gold, he recorded one song for Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock called Prophecy. When Brown left the group, he formed Rockstone with a singer he knew only as George. In 1981, they did six songs for Michael Palmer, a Jamaican producer in the United Kingdom.

Among those songs were Saturday Night Party and Strong Faith which featured We The People Band’s Lloyd Parks on bass and guitarist Andrew Bassford. After the master tapes for the songs were stolen from George’s home, a frustrated Brown decided to leave the music business and moved to New York.

“When dem tief di tapes, it was like somebody guh inna mi stomach an’ tek out mi belly. I jus’ couldn’t deal with it nuh more,” he said.

Ironically, Brown’s comeback sessions at Anchor Recording Studio in Kingston were done with The Firehouse Crew, proteges of King Tubby.