Cedric Brooks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cedric Brooks
Background information
Born	27 April 1943 Kingston, Jamaica
Died	(2013-05-03)3 May 2013 (aged 70) New York City, United States
Genres	Reggae, Afrobeat
Instruments	Tenor saxophone, flute, Drums
Years active	early 1960s–2013
Labels	Studio One

Cedric "Im" Brooks (born April 27, 1943 – died May 3, 2013) was a talented Jamaican musician. He played the saxophone and flute. Cedric was famous for his own music and for being part of many important bands. These included The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, The Sound Dimensions, Divine Light, The Light of Saba, and The Skatalites.

Cedric Brooks' Musical Journey

Early Life and Training

Cedric Brooks started his musical journey at a young age. When he was 11, he became a student at the famous Alpha Boys School. This school was known for teaching music. There, he learned about music theory and how to play the clarinet. Later, as a teenager, he started playing the tenor saxophone and the flute.

Finding Success

In the early 1960s, Cedric played with groups like The Vagabonds. But he became really popular in the late 1960s. He formed a duo called Im & David with trumpet player David Madden. They released many songs without singing for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One record label. Cedric also became a regular musician at the Studio One recording studio. He played on many songs and released his own music in the early 1970s.

Working with Count Ossie and The Light of Saba

In 1970, Cedric teamed up with Rastafarian drummer Count Ossie. They released songs like "So Long Rastafari Calling." Later, they formed a group called The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari. Cedric was in charge of the music and the brass instruments. They created a big three-record album called Grounation.

In 1974, Cedric left to start a new band, Divine Light. This group later became The Light of Saba. They made an album called From Mento to Reggae to Third World Music. This album explored the history of Jamaican music. It included styles like mento, junkanoo, ska, rocksteady, and reggae. The band made two more albums with a jazz and Rastafarian reggae sound.

Solo Work and The Skatalites

After leaving The Light of Saba, Cedric went solo again. His 1977 album, Im Flash Forward, is seen as one of the best Jamaican instrumental albums. The next year, he put together a new music group for his United Africa album.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Cedric mostly played music for other artists' recordings. He also worked with Carlos Malcolm in a large ska and mento orchestra. In 1999, after the death of the previous saxophonist, Cedric joined the famous band The Skatalites.

Cedric Brooks passed away on May 3, 2013, in New York Hospital. He was 70 years old.

Selected Music Albums

Here are some of the albums Cedric Brooks was part of:

Solo Albums

• Im Flash Forward (1977), Studio One
• United Africa (1978), ARCO

With Im & Dave

• Money Maker (1970), Coxsone

With Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari

• Grounation (1973)
• Tales of Mozambique (1975)

With The Light of Saba

• The Light Of Saba (1974)
• From Mento to Reggae to Third World Music (1975)

With The Skatalites

• Bashaka (2000)
• From Paris With Love (2002)
• On The Right Track (2007)