Augustus Pablo
Jah Light!
Articles
An unfinished melody Part One
"With a single blow of his melodica Augustus Pablo could imparta message as meaningful as any singer or chanter of words,
the haunting spiritual sound encouraging memories of ancient days,of distant places, of Rasta spirit
as well as the subjugation andsufferation of a race taken from their homeland."
In 1992 Augustus Pablo was in the UK, at the time my brothers magazine `Boom-Shacka-Lacka` was still in operation and readying
itself for its twelth edition, the opportunity arose to meet and interview Pablo, my brother Lol (who led the interview)
fellow Pablo fanatic Iain Pelling and myself
went with all haste, around the sametime Rootsman also interviewed him and both of these interviews were
to be used together for an article, unfortunatly through circumstances the twelth edition was never published.
Over the years it was my brothers intention to keep this interview to go along with an extensive discography that was being compiled
but things and time have conspired against this happening.
Because of Pablo`s passing away some of these works have know fallen into my hands and what follows are parts of the interview,
the words, not the myth, of the man that was, and still is, one of reggae musics most important and influentual artists.
"I was born in St. Andrew. St. Andrew is like part of Kingston same way. When i was younger i used to sneak out of my house at night
an` gwan an listen to Sir George an` those sounds, up in Cassava Piece y`know.
Thats why even later on i name a music `Cassava Piece` becah, that was one a the firs` dance halls i used to go what was close to me.
Ca` i live ina area called Havendale y`know. I also made a song called `Havendale Rock` too...
As you come out of Havendale you have a ghetto area, cah each area you `ave a ghetto area round it y`know, at the outskirts.
Cassava Piece is the ghetto area where the sound system a play.
An police station jus` round the corner from it.
But it was nice y`know, although police was there, those dances jus` go on sweet an` nice.
Sometimes Leroy Heptones might come an` sing on the mic or y`know....
never `ave too much deejay, but i use to jus` go there to listen to sound becah in my house where i am,
i could hear the steel `orn, some big round `orn they used to `ave in those days, an` that used to draw me,
becah from i hear the music deh i could`nt stay in my house, i`d sneak out. I get a lotta beatin` for them thing there, y`know, for the love of music."
What particular records were....
"Studio One! Studio One an hmm...Mudies, an Clancy Eccles use to produce some good song in those days too an`....
a lot of different producer, Derrick Harriot....Beverly`s.
All a the labels.I used to jus` support everyone a them, cah i was a music lover.
I always `ave a dream that i more saw myself as a singer y`know. Cah i always `ave these lickle vision like i`m singing.
Becah really i was singing inside of i but....i more express it ina instrument."
How did you come to play melodica ?
I started seekin` to get myself recorded cah i had this vibe in me that was jus` bawlin` out inside a me to come out.
I used to go down to Randy`s everyday, go all round Kingston...
one time i went to Coxsone, an Coxsone mek me do two music but, the music was never released becah , my name Horace Swaby, thats my right name
Years after i `came Pablo, he had those musics same way and maybe he himself don` even know becah he was`nt the one who recorded me,
it was the engineer y`know, Sylvan Morris, an he is working at Dynamics now so i mean....
Coxsone would `ave to be searchin`, searchin`, searchin`, an so much other people play for `im so he would`nt know who is who.
One day, i see me bredrin girlfriend with a melodica, one a the firs` time one them, an me say `Can get a borrow that ?`
an` she gi` me it y`know, she `ave no use for it, it was jus` there.
So me go down to Aquarius, becah i always buy record there for mi sound, an Herman Chin-Loy see me with the melodica,
`im say `im lookin` for a new sound becah him no waan use a organ anymore y`know, jus` waan do supp`m different
`cah he `ave that kinda vibe to `im y`know. `Im say come to the studio nex` day, thats Randy`s.
An` i went down there an` blow a tune call` `Iggy Iggy` an `East Of The River Nile`.
Them days there Herman buy the riddim from Lee Perry, `cah it was`nt `River Nile`, it was jus` a riddim,
an we jus` come up with the whole concept of it y`know.
When i got back the riddim when i was at Tubby`s now, me an` Phillip Smart, we got Chinna to come in, `cos if you listen to my LP `East Of The River Nile`
it `ave a guitar, but if you `ave a copy of the original Aquarius `East Of The River Nile` it `ave a lot a organ an t`ing on dere an all percussion an solo t`ings.
Becah , i went back in Tubby`s an do it over an` overdub Chinna pon it."
Over the Aquarius version ?
"Yeah, the same drum an` bass. An` it `ave a saxaphone was going `Ba-na-num ba-num`, well i drop out that an` jus` dub in Chinna
playin` a kinda jazz guitar, an keyboard, an` me jus` blow it back."
From Chin-Loy you moved to Randy`s ?
"Well me an` Clive (Chin) used to go to same school there, an` Clive did come out a school same time so, an` through he had heard the instrument
that i was playin` he kinda liked it, cah those Chinee people out deh they kinda `ave a touch of those kinda sound, the roots is in them same way.
Im say `im `ave this riddim `ere wha` made by a band long time gone, we jus` lick it over the riddim now an get Fully (George Fullwood, Soul Syndicate bassie),
Chinna an` them man deh, an get Santa come play it an it is `Java`.
He gi` me the dubplate an` tell me fe go `ome an` rehearse an` come up with all good sweet melody, an` when i came back
`im say `im like it an` we jus` go in the studio an` blow it. That was the one that establish my name really.
Those days now i use` to play in the studio a lot y`know, as a keyboardist or organist. Everybody use` to use me, like most a those people in those days,
most a the music in that time.
Big Youth music, Gussie Clarke music, all a them producer deh. An` i use` to arrange most a` Randy`s things them y`know.
I `ave free access to the studio too.I did `This Is Augustus Pablo` LP after, but `Java` did`nt come on it, an` that was a mistake Randy`s made.
They should have put `Java` on it becah it was my hit, but they thinking that through `Java` gone an` all them t`ing deh...
S ome lickle fuch up thinkin`. But that LP was really great still. Still sellin` like gold, believe me.
You see, at that time i was about 17 years old, going on 18, an` i mix that album y`know, yeah so you mus` `ave to understan`.
You see, come i was younger i use` to deal with the studio work, two track an` everytin`g, so my knowledge was like a lickle bit increase from very early.
So when i reach 18 it come like i`m doin` some 40 year old man work. Thats why for years people see me an` them say `Boy, can`t believe say it you innit Pablo !`
.... think its a big man an... the man them think all kinda thing deh y`know.
People that are older than them, believe me. Cah a` the works we are doin`, people imagine all kinda things about you.
When i was younger my mother always seh to me `Horace, you cyaan jus` put your eggs in one basket,` `cos she always try to help me an` encourage me that way.
Through them (parents) can`t win, them jus` encourage me.
I jus` start to produce a one tune meself. I kinda like the vibes there, an` i start learnin` more about me rights that time y`know.
Kieth Hudson was the firs` person really show me about me rights, `im an` Errol Thompson from Randy`s studio.
`Cah i use` to jus` (work) for the love of music, an` no even know i was to get money.
You need people to tell you these things an` guide you, an` teach you about PRS, Performin` Rights Society an` join it an`....
so i learn it in a early stage, an` i give thanks that i learn it."
A lot of your first self productions were cuts of Studio One tunes like `Swing Easy`, `Frozen Soul`
"When i was younger, i jus` love Studio One, everyone love Studio One, you no see they don` stop doing over Studio One.
But really that tune (`Swing Easy`) is really special to my `eart, so i say i go do two do-over before i stick to original.
Becah i had so much original in my heart i never have no time to do do-over unless i practice that from early.
Becah i learn about my rights, an` i learn say when you do-over a man song you not gwine get anything for it, so what is sense ?
Create your own. You have confindence create your own song .
y`know, to mek people love your song too, jus`like a nex` man. So you jus` `ave fe `ave that faith, and know.
Thats one part, you `ave to know, not guess, an` dont be sure an`...so thats the vibes i really hold y`know"
The thing about your re-cuts of the Studio One rhythms is that you added something to them.
Like `Rockers Rock` was an adaption, was`nt it. It was slightly different from `Real Rock`.
"Yeah, what i was really doing was puttin` myself in it. Becah the sound that i was hearing come so early.
`Cah i use` to do a lot a things at my house y`know, run off back a some record an` play a xylophone an` put them on dub
go a Tubby`s an` cut them pon dub an` tes` them pon the sound.
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