Nearly a quarter-century after the passing of legendary Jamaican reggae pioneer Augustus Pablo, his groundbreaking Kingston record store Rockers is back, reviving a cornerstone of the global roots music movement. First opened by Pablo at the peak of his career in the 1970s on Kingston’s Orange Street, the shop quickly grew into a beloved gathering hub for roots artists and musicians, who gathered there to exchange ideas, showcase new work, and deepen the connections that shaped reggae’s golden era.
Pablo, born Horace Swaby, remains one of reggae’s most influential innovators. A graduate of Kingston College who embraced Rastafari alongside many middle-class Jamaicans in the late 1960s, he revolutionized the genre with his signature use of the melodica. His 1972 breakthrough instrumental *Java* catapulted him to international acclaim, followed by genre-defining classics such as *King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown* and *East of The River Nile* that cemented the identity of the Rockers reggae movement. Beyond his own chart-topping work, Pablo dedicated much of his career to nurturing emerging talent, mentoring iconic young artists including Jacob Miller, Hugh Mundell, and Yami Bolo before his unexpected death in May 1999 at the age of 44.
In the decades following Pablo’s passing, the original Rockers store gradually fell into disrepair as the legacy of the movement it anchored risked fading from its original Kingston home. But earlier this year, Pablo’s two children, Isis and Addis, stepped in to breathe new life into the iconic space, reopening a fully renovated version of the shop that honors their father’s impact while welcoming a new generation of fans.
The reimagined Rockers centers its design around Pablo’s life and enduring legacy, with dedicated displays of his personal memorabilia alongside artifacts from his pioneering contemporaries. The update also includes a fully upgraded Rockers International sound system, and a dedicated digital display that chronicles the label’s decades of contributions to global reggae culture.
In an interview with the *Jamaica Observer*, 36-year-old Addis Pablo — a New Jersey-born musician in his own right, who just released a collaborative track *Musical High* with reggae artist Chezidek this past April — shared that the new Rockers is already drawing diverse crowds across ages and origins. “Our core goal is to pass the torch of this music to younger generations and new fans,” he explained. “So far, we’ve already welcomed groups of students from the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and local universities, alongside fans from across the globe — many of whom are younger than people might expect, drawn to the sound our father built.”
Addis also noted that the revamped store remains a welcoming space for the long-time fans who have supported Pablo’s work from its earliest days: “We never forget the community that has been part of this journey from the very start.”
When asked what Pablo would think of today’s generation of popular roots reggae acts, such as Chronixx and Jesse Royal, Addis said it is impossible to know for certain his father’s exact thoughts. But, he reflected, “My father always prioritized lifting up new artists and growing the scene. Knowing that, I’m sure he would be thrilled to see a new, young generation of fans and creators engaged and succeeding in the industry that he and his peers helped build from the ground up.”