Jamaican music is in mourning. Stranger Cole, one of the pioneers of ska and rocksteady, this one passed away Thursday 12 of June at the University Hospital of the West Indies, and Kingston, to the 83 years.
The news was confirmed by his son, the drummer Wilburn “Squiddly” Cole, who revealed that his father had been hospitalized two weeks earlier after a period of various health problems, Although the cause of death has not been reported at this time., as detailed Jamaica Observer.
“U.S, the cole family, We wish this moment of mourning were private.. Ceremony details will be available… for next week…”, express “Squiddly” on their social networks at this time of recollection.
De Portland a Trench Town
Born in Portland Parish, Cole moved to Kingston as a child and grew up in Trenchtown, the mythical neighborhood that was the epicenter of the Jamaican music scene at the beginning of the years 60, when ska began to conquer the clubs and the “dance lawns” of the city.
His first successes, “Rough And Tough” Y “When You Call My Name” (the latter together with Patsy Todd), were produced by the legendary Duke Reid.
They followed him “Just Like A River”, recorded with the pianist Gladstone Anderson, Y “Sectant”, In collaboration with Lester Sterling of The Skatalites.
A legacy beyond his own voice
Stranger Cole's influence on Jamaican music went beyond his own recordings. He played an important role in the early career of Ken Boothe Y The Mighty Diamonds, for whom he wrote and produced “Oh My Baby”, the first song of the group.
At the beginning of the years 70 emigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he became a reference figure in the reggae community of that city. His passage through Canada was documented in Ruff and Tuff — Stranger Cole’s Toronto Roots (2018), documentary directed by Chris Flanagan Y Graeme Mathieson.
Last December, just six months before his death, Cole had completed a six-date tour in Australia, where he maintained a loyal base of followers cultivated over decades. He was also a beloved figure in Europe.
Wilburn “Stranger” Cole leaves seven children, plus several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
View this publication in Instagram
