Background
Rodriguez was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved with his family to Jamaica at an early age. He grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, and was taught to play the trombone by his slightly older schoolmate Don Drummond at the Alpha Boys School.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Rico Rodriguez
Edit ProfileCareer
He recorded with many producers, including Karl Pitterson, Prince Buster, and Lloyd "Matador" Daley. He was known as one of the first and most distinguished ska artists, and from the early 1960s performed and recorded in Britain, with the Specials, Jools Holland, Paul Young, and others In 1961 Rodriguez moved to the United Kingdom and started to play in reggae bands.
In 1976 he recorded the album Manitoba from Wareika under a contract with Island Records.
In the late 1970s, with the arrival of the 2 Tone genre, he played with ska revival bands such as the Specials including their single "A Message to You, Rudy". Rodriguez formed the group Rico and the Rudies and recorded the albums Blow Your Horn and Brixton Cat.
In 1995 Island Records released the album Roots to the Bone, an updated version of Rodriguez"s earlier work Manitoba from Wareika. From 1996, among other engagements, he played with Jools Holland"s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and also performed at various ska festivals throughout Europe with his own band.
He retired from performing with Jools Holland in 2012.
On 4 September 2015, following a short illness in a London hospital, Rodriguez died aged 80.
Achievements
Membership
He was awarded an Administration Member of the Order of the British Empire (Member of the Order of the British Empire) at Buckingham Palace on 12 July 2007, for services to music
-
Born
-
Died
September 4, 2015 (aged 80) -
Nationality
Cuba Jamaica