Nambo Robinson sings as the drummers play at Sunday night's 'Freedom Sounds' tribute concert to Count Ossie and the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari held at Temple Hall Estate, St Andrew. - photo by Mel Cooke

Trombonist Nambo Robinson took an obvious, unfettered and near child-like delight in the music he played and the musicians he marshalled at Temple Hall Great House, St Andrew, on Sunday night.

The era that the night honoured did take him back to his childhood, the combination of rhythm section, horns and drums laying a bed of music for host, Herbie Miller, to read Robinson's recollection of first hearing the sounds which led him to a lifetime of music.

"As a youth at about age five or seven, I had just moved to Glasspole Avenue at the foot of Wareika Hills, Rockfort. It was during the Christmas holidays, one night or early evening, I heard the drums of Rastafari for the first time in my life and I could not sleep. I kept wondering who were those people playing," Miller read. When the child asked his Mama Ruby "a who dem people a mek dem soun' deh?" and said, he wanted to go see them, she said, "no yu cyaa go up deh. Dem a smoke weed an a celebrate fi de New Year".

Freedom Sounds

He did get to go and listen to Count Ossie and the drummers and horn players, eventually becoming one himself, and on Sunday night's concert reached back into those formative years to present 'Freedom Sounds' in honour of the life-shaping experience.

Although it was a night of memory, Nambo Robinson and Count Ossie's daughter, Mojiba's voices breaking with emotion at different points, it was far from a maudlin affair. It was a merry night when the tributes were spoken mostly in brass in a reconstruction of the music format, which pulled Nambo Robinson into the hills of East Kingston - with the addition of the amplified rhythm section.

Not only was the music absolutely beautiful, but the obvious camaraderie among the musicians and extemporaneous solos made it even more enjoyable.

First the drummers played by themselves, then in the second section Robinson called in the horn players individually, Everton Gayle, Vivian Scott, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts student, Sheldon and Dean Fraser. When Fraser took out his large horn, Robinson joked, "Him get the Order of Distinction him can't play the little one anymore. Him have to play the big one."

Then the drummers returned, fusing with the horns and rhythm section (the horn players parted to show Maurice Gordon as he soloed on Concrete Jungle, transporting the audience back to the times in Wareika Hills. There was a big difference though, the members of an extremely appreciative audience were seated on chairs and oversized Ottoman's, not grass and logs.

Peace and Love

There was rockers in Rockfort Rock. Robinson sang at points, including delivering Willie Williams' Armageddon. Ethiopian Rhapsody was poignant and the band dipped into the Skatalites material (the core of which came out of the Count Ossie and Mystic Revelation of Rastafari experience) and chanted Peace and Love.

And, at the end of a long concert, which could have continued forever if the audience had its way, Robinson made another childhood connection. He invited all to return to Temple Hall Estate for the next event in the concert series. "This also is education," Robinson said.