Augustus Pablo facts for kids

Horace Michael Swaby (born June 21, 1953 – died May 18, 1999) was a famous Jamaican musician and record producer. He was known by his stage name, Augustus Pablo. He played many instruments and was active in music from the 1970s until he passed away.

Augustus Pablo was a key figure in roots reggae and dub music. He helped make the melodica a popular instrument in reggae. Before him, the melodica was mostly used in Jamaica to teach music to schoolchildren. His album King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown (released in 1976) is considered one of the most important dub albums ever made.

Biography

Early Life and Music

Horace Michael Swaby was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica. He learned to play the organ at Kingston College School. There, a friend let him try a melodica, and he loved it!

He also met Herman Chin Loy, who owned a record store called Aquarius. Between 1971 and 1973, Swaby recorded some of his first songs for Chin-Loy's label. These included "Higgi Higgi" and "East of the River Nile." Herman Chin Loy had used the name "Augustus Pablo" for other keyboard songs before. Swaby liked the name and decided to use it for his own recordings.

Rising to Fame

His song "East of the River Nile" became a moderate hit. It was special because it mixed sounds from East Asia with Jamaican music. Soon after, he joined a band called Now Generation, where he played keyboards.

His friend Clive Chin also started his career as a record producer. Pablo left Now Generation, and he and Clive recorded "Java" in 1972. This instrumental song was a huge success and helped launch Pablo's solo career. He continued to record with Clive Chin and other famous producers like Lee Perry. Pablo had another big hit with "My Desire," sung by John Holt.

Creating His Own Labels

Augustus Pablo started his own music labels: Hot Stuff, Message, and Rockers. He named Rockers after his brother's soundsystem. Through these labels, he released many popular instrumental songs. Most of these were new versions of older hits from Studio One.

Even with his own labels, Pablo's 1974 album, This Is Augustus Pablo, was made with Clive and Pat Chin. After that, he worked with the legendary reggae sound engineer King Tubby on the 1975 album Ital Dub.

Producing Hits and Touring

In the late 1970s, Pablo produced many hit songs. These included "Black Star Liner" by Fred Locks. He also worked with many other artists like Dillinger, Jacob Miller, and Horace Andy.

This busy time led to several highly praised albums. Some of these were King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown (1976), East of the River Nile (1978), and Original Rockers (1979). Another popular album was Rockers Meets King Tubbys in a Firehouse.

Later Career and Legacy

In the 1980s, Pablo's music career slowed down a bit. However, he started to gain fans in America. His 1986 album Rising Sun received good reviews and sold well. He also produced more hits like "Ragamuffin Year" for Junior Delgado.

Augustus Pablo traveled and performed all over the world. He recorded a memorable live album in Tokyo in 1987. That same year, Rockers Come East helped restart his career. In the 1990s, he released more albums and produced songs for artists like Dawn Penn. In 1997, he played melodica on the song "Star" by the band Primal Scream.

Augustus Pablo passed away on May 18, 1999, due to a collapsed lung. He had been dealing with a nerve condition called myasthenia gravis.

Personal life

Augustus Pablo was a devoted follower of the Rastafari faith. His son, Addis Pablo, and his daughter, Isis Swaby, have both followed in his footsteps and become musicians.

Selected discography

Here are some of the albums Augustus Pablo released or contributed to:

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 (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)

See also

In Spanish: Augustus Pablo para niños