Nambo Robinson a great person, trombonist

Dr Dennis Howard gave this address at the funeral for trombonist Nambo Robinson on Sunday at the Masjid Al Salaam mosque. Robinson died on Wednesday, January 25, from a heart attack.

It's rarely you find someone like Ronald 'Nambo' Robinson. Nambo distinguished himself in any band or group he was associated with - and the list is impressive. Apart from the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, where he played trombone and sang, he was a member of outstanding outfits including the Taxi Gang, The Light of Saba and We the People, where he was a member of Rass Brass. which included Chico Chin and Dean Fraser.

After moving on from Lloyd Parkes and We the People, Nambo, Dean and Chico were founding members of the amazing 809 Band, along with Desi Roots, Handel Tucker, Christopher Birch, Michael Fletcher and Bow Pee. It dominated the live and recording scenes during its lifetime.

Nambo's studio work is not to be overlooked, as he played on many seminal and classic Jamaican recordings and collaborated with many international recording stars. Marcia Griffiths, Luciano, Sizzla, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Earthkry, Chronixx, Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley are just some of the legends that he worked with A strong vocalist himself, he can be heard on recordings from The Light of Saba, 809 and many solo projects, some of which were produced by his friends Gibby Morrison and Dean Fraser, among others.

Nambo was a historian of music culture and left behind numerous recordings of interviews he did with every musician or producer he could find. It was only last year he asked me to accompany him to Montego Bay to visit the great Hedley Jones. He had a sense of history and knew that Jamaican music and its makers are important and to be respected. He also knew that the music should be preserved and that it should be shared with the world.

I last saw him during his performance with one of his numerous young charges, the band Earthkry. Nambo was typical Nambo, encouraging and guiding on stage but leaving the limelight to the future of our great and noble music and musical traditions.

Today we honour a great man, Roland 'Nambo' Robinsion. Music forever, Nambo forever.