Description
Awarded a five star review by Rolling Stone magazine on it’s original 1978 release, “Africa Must Be Free By 1983” was met with great acclaim and has gone on to be one the most sought after of all classic roots reggae albums. Re-mastered for release in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Greensleeves label, the album is a fitting testament to two titans of reggae (artist and producer Augustus Pablo) that were taken from us far too soon.
Hugh Mundell: Born 14 June 1962 – Died 14 October 1983
A teenage prodigy who made one of the great Roots records “Africa Must Be Free By 1983” at the age of 16. Although produced by Augustus Pablo Mundell wrote all the tunes, thereby earning himself the nickname of “The Blessed Youth”
Introduced to reggae by a friend of the family, Boris Gardiner Mundell recorded his first session at the age of 13, and at the time of his death had produced 5 LPs and numerous singles.
What seemed likely to be a brilliant career was cut short when Mundell was shot in a car he was travelling in with Junior Reid. Accounts of the incident are muddled, with some accounts reporting that it was over an argument about a fridge, others that it was in revenge for a burglary, others still that it was over a woman. Whatever the reason, his death robbed the world of reggae of a shining light.
