Pablo Moses

Pablo Moses arrived on the reggae landscape in 1975 through the enigmatic single “I Man a Grasshopper,” drawn from his first album Revolutionary Dream. Although the title nods to the central figure of the then-popular television series Kung Fu, the narrative actually follows a drunken former policeman who informs on a ganja-smoking vocalist. The track scored massive success in both Jamaica and England, yet Moses himself stayed comparatively anonymous. Born Pablo Henry in Jamaica’s rural Manchester district, he lived for two years in New York City before resuming a country existence until his drive to perform grew overwhelming. He began by singing with casual school ensembles, then joined his friend Don Prendes to form the Canaries, the group that would serve as his long-term backing band, and the pair entered talent contests. Auditions for Duke Reid and Dodd’s Studio One produced no results. After the breakthrough of “Grasshopper,” Moses issued further singles such as “We Should Be in Angola,” which found greater favor in England than at home, with the exception of “Give I Fe I Name.” Revolutionary Dream received strong acclaim but scant financial reward, leading Moses to step away from the music business for a time. During the hiatus he enrolled for two years at the Jamaica School of Music, where he assembled a new set of musicians and began appearing at nightclubs, theaters, and campus venues. The collective also created a television program that proved popular throughout Jamaica. In 1980 Moses reentered reggae with A Song (1980), an inventive album he produced alongside Geoffery Chung; it was tracked on the island with its leading session players and later remixed in London. The resulting sound merged deep roots elements with sophisticated international reggae textures, an achievement many regard as Moses’ masterpiece. Chung went on to produce the follow-up, Pave the Way. Moses maintained a recording career through the 1990s.