Rico Rodriguez

Emmanuel “Rico” Rodriguez (1934–2015) was a pioneering Cuban-born Jamaican trombonist who played a key role in the development of ska and reggae music. Born in Havana and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, he was taught trombone at the Alpha Boys School by Don Drummond, one of ska’s founding figures. A Rastafarian from the 1950s, Rico was closely linked to Count Ossie and became recognized as one of the earliest and most influential ska musicians, recording with producers such as Prince Buster, Lloyd Daley, and Karl Pitterson. In 1961, Rico moved to the United Kingdom, where he became an important bridge between Jamaican music and British audiences. He played with bands like Georgie Fame’s Blue Flames, formed Rico’s All Stars, and later Rico and the Rudies, releasing albums such as Blow Your Horn and Brixton Cat. His 1976 album Man from Wareika became a landmark recording. During the late 1970s and the 2 Tone era, Rico worked with bands like the Specials, most famously on “A Message to You, Rudy,” and collaborated with artists including the Members, Jools Holland, and Paul Young. Although he briefly retired to Jamaica in the early 1980s, Rico returned to performing and recording from the late 1980s onward, touring internationally and playing with Jazz Jamaica, Linton Kwesi Johnson, and Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. His contributions were formally recognized when he was awarded an MBE in 2007 and the Silver Musgrave Medal in 2012. Rico Rodriguez died in London in September 2015 at the age of 80, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of the architects of ska and a vital figure in reggae’s global spread.