Horace Swaby aka Augustus Pablo was born in 1954, St. Andrew, Jamaica.

Augustus Pablo, jamaican musician and producer, is died 18 tuesdays May 1999 in a hospital of Kingston to the age of 45 years; he leaves his wife Karen, the two sons Addis and Isis, the brother Garth, the sister Claudia and the Buelah mother.

He suffered for a long time from cancer but he had always refused, in harmony with the Rasta doctrine, the amputation of the sick leg to the aim to avoid to propagate of the evil; other sources assume that Pablo, although he suffered from diabetes, had not never accepted to cure himself with the insulin; he had always prefer natural remedies and a massive use of chalice.

Surely Horace Swaby - AKA Augustus Pablo - is still one of the main references of the Roots-reggae, and this not only for the peculiarity of its sound and the beauty of its productions but for raise the humble melodica in an instrument able to catch up a deep and sincere sense of spirituality.

Its sweet melody and its innovative agreements have influenced the Rockers style of 70's and inspired musicians of various origin, include early 90's english roots movement.

He debut is of 1971 with the cut Iggy Iggy recorded for Randy. Then he recorded for many great jamaican producers: Lee "Scratch" Perry, Joe Gibbs, Yabby You, Winston Riley, Derrick Harriot, Bunny Lee and Gussie Clarke.
In spite of that, its own productions (Hot Stuff, Rockers and Message) those that have had the greater impact on the world-wide public reggae.

Beyond playing with the brother Garth his sound system, Rockers Hi-Fi, Augustus Pablo began to produce cuts for singers and djs: Hugh Mundell, Big Youth, Dillinger, Junior Delgado in late 70's and Yami Bolo, Johnny Osbourne and Earl Sixteen later.

The contribution of Pablo to the Reggae music is very important. Its debut is of the 1974 with This is Augustus Pablo, follows Thriller and Ital Dub, King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown - masterpiece of 1976 - has been followed two later years from its first entire instrumental: East of the River Nile.

To this splendid album, which follow other smash hit the two compilations Original Rockers and Hugh Mundell 's Africa Must be Free and Blowing With the Wind. Then he was dedicated to of compiiations of its first jobs whose more recent is Valley of Jehosaphat.

Perhaps a fragile and esile physicist and a schivo and classified character explain because its tour were always sporadic and because in the last years it went away definitively from the great public; in spite of that he could himself often be met to Kingston in its Rockers International Shop in Orange Street.

Blessed everytime!

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