Reggae fans witnessed a slice of music history over the weekend as Jamaican legends Rico Rodriguez and Bunny “Striker” Lee joined arm-in-arm at a gig in Camden.
The pair, pictured together after Rodriguez’s Saturday night gig at the Forge in Delancey Street, Camden Town, collectively made an enormous contribution to the ska, dub and reggae music scene in both Jamaica and the UK.
Rodriguez, a hugely respected Jamaican trombonist who recorded with artists like Prince Buster and Lloyd Daley, is known as one of the first and most distinguished ska musicians.
Influenced heavily by his teacher, the late trombonist Don Drummond, he has been a longstanding member of Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and was awarded an MBE for his services to music in 2007.
Music producer Lee, also from Jamaica, was instrumental in bringing dub music over to the UK with dub pioneer King Tubby.
He has worked with prominent artists like reggae stars Johnny Clarke and Delroy Wilson and was described as “the most prolific producer on the planet in the 1970s”.
Ron Vester, who moved from Jamaica to Belsize Park eight years ago, said: “It was a real moment in history. It was so compelling to watch.”
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