He was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica and learned to play the organ in Kingston College School. It was at that point an unnamed girl lent him the melodica. Fascinated by the instrument, Pablo rarely put it down. He also met Herman Chin Loy; the Chin family owned an influential record store in Kingston. Swaby recorded “Iggy Iggy” in Clive’s father’s studio, Aquarius Records. He took the name Augustus Pablo for this recording.
After releasing a few more singles, Pablo came out with “East of the River Nile”, a unique blend of East Asian and Jamaican sounds, and the song became a moderate hit. Augustus Pablo popularized the use of the melodica (an instrument used primarily to teach children music in the Jamaican public schools) in reggae music. He soon joined Now Generation (Mikey Chung’s band) and played the keyboard with them while his friend, Clive, began his own career as a record producer. Pablo and Chin recorded “Java” (1972) together, as soon as Pablo quit Now Generation and Clive was able to get the studio time, the instrumental was a massive hit, and launched Pablo’s solo career. He recorded with Chin and various others, including Leonard Chin, his uncle, and Lee Perry. He scored another smash hit with “My Desire” (John Holt).
Pablo formed labels Hot Stuff, Message and Rockers (named after his brother’s soundsystem, Rockers), and released a steady stream of well-received instrumentals, mostly versions of older hits from Studio One. In spite of his success with Rockers, Pablo’s seminal 1974 album, This Is Augustus Pablo was recorded with Clive and Pat Chin. This was followed by a collaboration with the legendary reggae engineer King Tubby to great acclaim, releasing 1975’s Ital Dub.
In the later 1970s, Pablo produced a steady stream of hits, including the hit “Black Star Liner” (Fred Locks). He also worked with Dillinger, Norris Reid, I-Roy, Jacob Miller, Te -Track, The Immortals, Paul Blackman, Earl Sixteen, Roman Stewart, Lacksley Castell, The Heptones, Ricky Grant, Delroy Williams,Junior Delgado, Horace Andy and Freddy McKay. This period was eventually commemorated with critically acclaimed LP’s including King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (1976) and Hugh Mundell’s classic Africa Must be Free by 1983. This was followed by East of the River Nile (1978, Original Rockers 1979 and Rockers Meets King Tubbys In A Firehouse, another acclaimed hit album.
In the 1980s, Pablo’s career slowed significantly. He had begun to establish an American audience, and released Rising Sun in 1986 to good reviews and sales. Pablo also produced memorable hits, including “Ragamuffin Year” (Junior Delgado), “Humble Yourself” (Asher & Tremble) and “Far Far Away” (Ricky Grant). In addition, Pablo toured extensively throughout the world, making a memorable live album in Tokyo in 1987. That same year, Rockers Come East re-established his career, and he began to release a series of critically acclaimed though somewhat inaccessible albums in the 1990s, including Blowing With the Wind and also producing several, such as Night & Day (Dawn Penn) and Jah Made Them All (Yami Bolo).
Pablo died as a result of a collapsed lung on May 18, 1999. He had been suffering for some time from the nerve disorder Myasthenia gravis.
He was known for his spiritual Rastafarian beliefs.
Meditation Dub
Augustus Pablo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
(Reggae r0lz!!)
As the title suggests, "Meditation Dub" is an instrumental piece that creates a meditative and introspective atmosphere through the use of various dub techniques and melodic motifs. The song begins with a sparse and echoing drumbeat that sets the pace for the entire composition. The bassline is simple but prominent, providing a solid foundation for the other instruments to build upon. As the track progresses, additional elements such as a floating keyboard melody, a melodica solo, and various percussion accents are added, creating a rich and layered soundscape.
The overall effect of "Meditation Dub" is one of peacefulness and reflection. The song's minimalist structure and repetitive motifs allow the listener to lose themselves in the music and enter a state of contemplation. Augustus Pablo, a master of dub music, uses the genre's trademark reverbs and echoes to create a sense of spaciousness that adds to the peaceful quality of the composition. Overall, "Meditation Dub" is a beautiful and calming piece of music that perfectly embodies the meditative qualities of the dub genre.
Contributed by Alice L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rodrigo Pablodub
Pedrada!!!
Chu Konwea
Those who should know, know. Pablo was an extra-terrestrial. He heard roots sounds and melodies in his head that common mortals could never decode. Thank God he deciphered those sounds for humanity before his passing.
Nils Hans
Best music to meditate
Rodrigo cardoso
se loko augustus pablo pancada.....
The American Storyteller
Gus Pab with the hypnotic rhythms.
Rwanda Rukwira
Love Pablo