Horace Michael Swaby (21 June 1953 – 18 May 1999), Thompson, Dave (2002). ''Reggae & Caribbean Music''. Backbeat Books. , pp. 200–202. also known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican

roots reggae Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the ho ...

and dub composer, performer,

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

, and multi-instrumentalist. He was active from the 1970s until his death. He was known for playing the

melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usu ...

Biography

He was born in

St. Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Chu ...

, Jamaica, and learned to play the organ at the Kingston College School, where a girl lent him a melodica. He also met Herman Chin Loy, who after working at his cousin

Leslie Kong Leslie Kong (20 December 1933 – 9 August 1971) was a Jamaican reggae producer. Early life Kong was born into a Chinese-Jamaican family. He had a "relatively comfortable upbringing" and attended St. George's College in Kingston. Career ...

's Beverley's record shop, had set up his own Aquarius store in

Half Way Tree Half Way Tree() is a neighbourhood in the city of Kingston, Jamaica. It is the parish capital of St. Andrew. Half Way Tree is served by the Kingston 10 post office. In recent years, as a result of crime and violence in Downtown Kingston and ...

. 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. Larkin, Colin (1988). ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae''. Virgin Books. . Chin Loy had previously used the name Augustus Pablo generically for keyboard instrumentals recorded by Lloyd Charmers and Glen Adams, Barrow, Steve; Dalton, Peter (1997) ''Reggae: The Rough Guide''. Rough Guides. . and Swaby took the name for this recording. He soon joined Now Generation (

Mikey Chung Michael Chung (1950 – 28 December 2021) also known as Mao Chung, was a Jamaican musician who played keyboards, guitar and percussion instruments. He was also an arranger and record producer of Jamaican music, and worked with a wide array of ...

's band) and played keyboard with them while his friend Clive Chin began his own career as a record producer. Pablo and Chin recorded "Java" (1972) together after Pablo quit Now Generation. He has recorded with Chin and Chin's uncle, Leonard Chin, and Lee Perry. Pablo formed the labels Hot Stuff, Message and Rockers (named after his brother's soundsystem, Rockers). Pablo's 1974 album '' This Is Augustus Pablo'' was recorded with Clive and Pat Chin. This was followed by a collaboration with

King Tubby Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who influenced the development of dub music in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's studio work, in which as a mixing engineer he achiev ...

in their 1975's '' Ital Dub''. Pablo produced a number of songs in the 1970s, including "Black Star Liner" (with Fred Locks). He has also worked with Dillinger,

I-Roy Roy Samuel Reid (28 June 1944 – 27 November 1999), better known as I-Roy, was a Jamaican deejay who had a very prolific career during the 1970s. Biography Born in 1944 in Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica, Reid graduated from Dinthill Technical C ...

, Jacob Miller, the Immortals, Paul Blackman,

Earl Sixteen Earl Sixteen (born Earl John Daley, 9 May 1958)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa, , p. 152 is a Jamaican reggae singer whose career began in the mid-1970s. Biography Daley grew up in Waltham Park R ...

, Roman Stewart, Lacksley Castell,

the Heptones The Heptones are a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal trio most active in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were one of the more significant trios of that era, and played a major role in the gradual transition between ska and rocksteady in ...

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

Delroy Wilson Delroy George Wilson CD (5 October 1948 – 6 March 1995) Greene, Jo-Ann, " Delroy Wilson Biography, allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. Wilson is often regarded as Jamaica's first child s ...

, Junior Delgado,

Horace Andy Horace Andy (born Horace Keith Hinds, 19 February 1951) is a Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as " Skylarking", as well as "Government Land", "Angel", "Spying Glass", and "Five Ma ...

and Freddy McKay. With Jacob Miller, he recorded "Baby I Love You So" in 1974. Pablo's dub 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 by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

''. Pablo later released a few LPs, including '' King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown'' (1976) and

Hugh Mundell Hugh Mundell (14 June 1962 – 14 October 1983) was a Jamaican roots reggae singer. Biography Mundell was born the fourth child and only boy to Theresa and Alvin Mundell. Alvin Mundell was a successful lawyer.Campbell, Howard (2012)Hugh Munde ...

's ''Africa Must Be Free by 1983''. This was followed by '' East 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 documentary '' DOA''. He released '' Rising Sun'' in 1986. He also toured throughout the world, recording a live album in Tokyo in 1987. In 1997, he played melodica on

Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock music, rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie (musician), Jim Beattie (guitar). The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simon ...

's single "

Star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...

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

myasthenia gravis Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a long-term neuromuscular junction disease that leads to varying degrees of skeletal muscle weakness. The most commonly affected muscles are those of the eyes, face, and swallowing. It can result in double vision, ...

Personal life

Pablo was a Rasta. His son, Addis Pablo, followed him into a career in music, as did his daughter, Isis Swaby.Campbell, Howard (2012)
Journey continues – Addis Pablo keeps his father's legacy alive
, ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'', 5 July 2012, retrieved 13 July 2012

Selected discography

Albums

* '' This Is...Augustus Pablo'' (1974) * '' Ital Dub'' (1974) * ''Thriller'' (1975) * '' King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown'' (1976) * '' East of the River Nile'' (1977) * '' Original Rockers'' (1979) * ''Africa Must Be Free by... 1983 Dub'' (1979) * '' Rockers Meets King Tubbys in a Firehouse'' (1980) * ''Authentic Golden Melodies'' (1980) * '' Earth's Rightful Ruler'' (1982) * '' King David's Melody'' (1983) * '' 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) * ''Heartical Chart'' (1993) * ''Meets King Tubby at the Control in Roots Vibes'' (1996) * ''

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

'' (1998) * ''Let's Get Started / Eastman Dub'' (1998) * ''Valley of Jehosaphat'' (1999) * ''El Rocker's'' (2000) * ''The Great Pablo'' (2000) * ''Dubbing with the Don'' (2001) * ''Jah Inspiration'' (2001) * ''Skanking with Pablo: Melodica for Hire 1971–77'' (2002) * ''In Fine Style: 7" & 12" Selection 1973–79'' (2003) * ''The Essential Augustus Pablo'' (2005) * ''Augustus Pablo Meets Lee Perry & the Wailers Band (Rare Dubs 1970–1971)'' (2006) * ''The Mystic World of Augustus Pablo: The Rockers Story'' (2008) * ''Born to Dub You'' (2014) * ''Augustus Pablo Presents Rockers International'' (2015) * ''Augustus Pablo Presents Rockers International 2'' (2015) * ''Augustus Pablo Original Rockers'' (2016) * ''One Step Dub'' (2020) * ''Ancient Harmonies'' (2020)

Contributing artist

* '' The Rough Guide to Reggae'' (1997, World Music Network)

References

External links

elrockers.org
Fan site
Discography at Discogs
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pablo, Augustus 1953 births 1999 deaths Jamaican dub musicians Jamaican keyboardists Jamaican pianists Jamaican guitarists Melodica players People from Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica Jamaican reggae musicians Jamaican record producers Island Records artists Jamaican Rastafarians Deaths from respiratory failure Heartbeat Records artists Greensleeves Records artists