News & Updates — Hugh Mundell

Definitely the world's most famous melodica player, Augustus Pablo was a crucial figure on the reggae and dub scene for two-plus decades. Born Horace Swaby in Jamaica, he learned organ and keyboards while in school before becoming addicted to playing the melodica, a free-reed mouth keyboard mostly used as a tool to teach children music. While still a teenager he cut his earliest sides in '71 for Aquarius Records, taking on the name "Augustus Pablo", which had previously been used by other musicians for records on the label. He began working with Randy's and other labels and "East Of The...

Happy born day to Jamaican roots singer Hugh Mundell, most famous for the classic "Africa Must Be Free By 1983". Born in East Kingston, Jamaica, he grew up with Earl Sixteen, Winston McAnuff and Wayne Wade. He cut an unreleased tune for Joe Gibbs, after which Mundell hooked up with Augustus Pablo for a bunch of productions from '75-78, becoming his Africa Must Be Free album. Mundell wrote all the tracks and two of them were recorded at Lee Perry's Black Ark studio. He performed just a handful of concerts in the Caribbean, US, UK and France. He also worked the...