# Rico Rodriguez (musician)
**Rico Rodriguez** (17 October 1934 – 4 September 2015), born Emmanuel Rodriguez and also known as Rico, Reco, or El Reco, was a Cuban-born Jamaican trombonist who played on many of the earliest ska records, helped carry Jamaican music to Britain, and became best known for his work with the 2 Tone band the Specials.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 17 October 1934, Havana, Cuba; 4 September 2015, London, England, aged 80[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) |
| Training | Learned trombone at Kingston's Alpha Boys School under Don Drummond[2](https://thereggaemuseum.com/musician/rico-rodriguez/) |
| Signature album | *Man from Wareika*, recorded in 1976 for Island Records and released in 1977, a jazz and roots-reggae fusion distributed by Blue Note[3](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2012/06/21/rico-rodriguez-man-from-wareika/) • [4](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2015/09/04/rico-rodriquez-is-dead/) |
| Best-known recording | Trombone on the Specials' 1979 cover of "A Message to You, Rudy", which reached No 10 in the UK charts; he also played on "Ghost Town"[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/04/the-specials-trombonist-rico-rodriguez-dies-aged-80) • [1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) |
| Honors | MBE in 2007 for services to music; Silver Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica in October 2012[6](https://jis.gov.jm/rico-rodriquez-memorabilia-donated-jamaica-music-museum/) |
| Later career | Member of Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra from 1996 until 2012[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) |
## Early life and Jamaica
Rodriguez was born in Havana to a Cuban father and a Jamaican mother and moved with his family to Jamaica at an early age, growing up in Kingston[7](https://www.largeup.com/2015/09/07/r-i-p-emmanuel-rico-rodriguez-1934-2015/). In 1940 he began attending the Alpha Boys School, a Catholic charitable institution whose music program trained several of Jamaica's leading horn players; his classmates included the saxophonist Tommy McCook and the trombonist Don Drummond, who taught him trombone[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) • [7](https://www.largeup.com/2015/09/07/r-i-p-emmanuel-rico-rodriguez-1934-2015/).
In the 1950s he became a Rastafarian and worked with the Rastafarian master drummer Count Ossie, joining impromptu sessions in the Wareika Hills above east Kingston[2](https://thereggaemuseum.com/musician/rico-rodriguez/) • [3](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2012/06/21/rico-rodriguez-man-from-wareika/). Between 1957 and 1961 he worked for every producer of note in Jamaica, including Clement Dodd, Duke Reid, and [Prince Buster](https://www.edgepedia.org/prince-buster), on recordings that helped shape the emerging ska sound[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) • [8](https://musiciansunion.org.uk/MusiciansUnion/media/resource/Publications/The%20Musician/The-Musician-all-editions-2015.pdf?ext=.pdf).
## Britain and the 2 Tone era
Rodriguez moved to the United Kingdom at the start of the 1960s. Accounts differ on the exact year: the Reggae Museum and other profiles give 1961, the *Rough Guide to Reggae* gives 1962, and his United Reggae obituary gives the mid-1960s[2](https://thereggaemuseum.com/musician/rico-rodriguez/) • [9](https://jamaicanmusicatlas.com/entity/person/rico-rodriguez). In London he initially supplemented gigs and session work with manual jobs, then recorded for the fledgling Island label and played on the jazz and R&B circuits with [Georgie Fame](https://www.edgepedia.org/georgie-fame)'s Blue Flames, becoming an important bridge between Jamaican music and British audiences[8](https://musiciansunion.org.uk/MusiciansUnion/media/resource/Publications/The%20Musician/The-Musician-all-editions-2015.pdf?ext=.pdf) • [2](https://thereggaemuseum.com/musician/rico-rodriguez/).
Two albums appeared in 1969: *Reco in Reggae Land*, a Don Drummond tribute using pre-recorded rhythms produced by [Bunny Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/bunny-lee) in Jamaica, and *Blow Your Horn*, recorded with the Brixton-based Rudies band; he also led the group Rico and the Rudies on *Brixton Cat*[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) • [10](https://wbssmedia.com/artists/detail/2593).
**The Specials.** In 1979, [Jerry Dammers](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-dammers) asked Rodriguez to play on the band's remake of Dandy Livingstone's "Rudy, A Message to You"; Rodriguez had played on the original 1967 recording[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) • [8](https://musiciansunion.org.uk/MusiciansUnion/media/resource/Publications/The%20Musician/The-Musician-all-editions-2015.pdf?ext=.pdf). The single reached No 10 in the UK charts, and Rodriguez soon joined the band as a virtual full-time member[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/04/the-specials-trombonist-rico-rodriguez-dies-aged-80) • [11](https://www.2-tone.info/artists/rico.html). He contributed to the first two Specials albums, *The Specials* (1979) and *More Specials* (1980), and to the Selecter's debut *Too Much Pressure* (1980), as well as the 1981 single "Ghost Town", on which his playing intensified the song's evocation of urban decay[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) • [8](https://musiciansunion.org.uk/MusiciansUnion/media/resource/Publications/The%20Musician/The-Musician-all-editions-2015.pdf?ext=.pdf). 2 Tone Records also issued two of his solo albums, *That Man Is Forward* (1981) and *Jama Rico* (1982), both recorded in Jamaica[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez).
## Man from Wareika
Recorded in 1976 under contract with [Island Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/island-records) and released in 1977, *Man from Wareika* fused jazz and roots reggae and drew its inspiration from Rodriguez's life in the Rastafarian community in the Wareika Hills, where he had jammed with Count Ossie and Don Drummond[3](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2012/06/21/rico-rodriguez-man-from-wareika/) • [8](https://musiciansunion.org.uk/MusiciansUnion/media/resource/Publications/The%20Musician/The-Musician-all-editions-2015.pdf?ext=.pdf). It is widely regarded as his masterpiece; Rodriguez himself said it was the first album on which he was able to perform to the best of his ability[3](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2012/06/21/rico-rodriguez-man-from-wareika/) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/04/the-specials-trombonist-rico-rodriguez-dies-aged-80). The album was eventually picked up for distribution by the American jazz label Blue Note, and includes the songs "Africa" and "Lumumba", a tribute to the slain Congolese leader [Patrice Lumumba](https://www.edgepedia.org/patrice-lumumba)[3](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2012/06/21/rico-rodriguez-man-from-wareika/) • [4](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2015/09/04/rico-rodriquez-is-dead/).
## Later career
Rodriguez returned to Jamaica in 1982 to retire from professional performing, but came back in 1987, touring Switzerland with the Heartbeat Band[10](https://wbssmedia.com/artists/detail/2593) • [1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez). Back in London he played on Jazz Jamaica's debut album *Skaravan* (1993), worked with [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://www.edgepedia.org/linton-kwesi-johnson), and in 1995 Island released *Roots to the Bone*, an updated version of *Man from Wareika*[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) • [10](https://wbssmedia.com/artists/detail/2593). From 1996 he was a member of [Jools Holland](https://www.edgepedia.org/jools-holland)'s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, one of four trombonists in the section, retiring from the band in 2012, while also performing at ska festivals across Europe with his own band[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez) • [12](https://www.reggae-vibes.com/articles/interview/2025/11/interview-with-rico-rodriguez/).
His later recordings included *Rico's Message* (2006) and *Wareika Vibes* (2006), and he recorded *JapaRico* (Rico Rodriguez Meets Japan) with Japanese backing bands, a country where he retained a strong following[13](https://www.reggaeville.com/artist-details/rico-rodriguez/details/) • [14](https://elpais.com/cultura/2015/09/10/actualidad/1441843515_837444.html).
## Recognition and death
Rodriguez was appointed MBE in 2007 for services to music, receiving the honor at [Buckingham Palace](https://www.edgepedia.org/buckingham-palace) on 12 July 2007[6](https://jis.gov.jm/rico-rodriquez-memorabilia-donated-jamaica-music-museum/) • [10](https://wbssmedia.com/artists/detail/2593). In October 2012 the Institute of Jamaica awarded him the Silver Musgrave Medal for his contribution to Jamaican music; he was unable to attend the ceremony because of ill health[6](https://jis.gov.jm/rico-rodriquez-memorabilia-donated-jamaica-music-museum/) • [15](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2012/10/10/trombonist-rico-rodriguez-gets-his-due/).
He died on 4 September 2015 at Hammersmith Hospital, London, aged 80, of lung collapse with complications of infection, following a short illness[9](https://jamaicanmusicatlas.com/entity/person/rico-rodriguez) • [10](https://wbssmedia.com/artists/detail/2593). [The Specials](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-specials) announced his death on Twitter, writing that his legacy would "go on forever and a day"[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/04/the-specials-trombonist-rico-rodriguez-dies-aged-80). In 2016 his widow, Tracey Rodriguez, donated the trombone he played to the Jamaica Music Museum[6](https://jis.gov.jm/rico-rodriquez-memorabilia-donated-jamaica-music-museum/).
## References
1. [Rico Rodriguez obituary, The Guardian (David Katz, 6 September 2015)](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/06/rico-rodriguez)
2. [Rico Rodriguez, The Reggae Museum](https://thereggaemuseum.com/musician/rico-rodriguez/)
3. [Rico Rodriguez: Man From Wareika, Jamaica Observer (Howard Campbell, 21 June 2012)](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2012/06/21/rico-rodriguez-man-from-wareika/)
4. [Rico Rodriquez is dead, Jamaica Observer (4 September 2015)](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2015/09/04/rico-rodriquez-is-dead/)
5. [The Specials trombonist Rico Rodriguez dies aged 80, The Guardian (Kevin Rawlinson, 4 September 2015)](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/04/the-specials-trombonist-rico-rodriguez-dies-aged-80)
6. [Rico Rodriquez Memorabilia Donated to Jamaica Music Museum, Jamaica Information Service](https://jis.gov.jm/rico-rodriquez-memorabilia-donated-jamaica-music-museum/)
7. [R.I.P: Emmanuel "Rico" Rodriguez, 1934-2015, LargeUp (Saxon Baird)](https://www.largeup.com/2015/09/07/r-i-p-emmanuel-rico-rodriguez-1934-2015/)
8. [Rico Rodriguez tribute, The Musician (Musicians' Union, 2015), by Neil Churchman](https://musiciansunion.org.uk/MusiciansUnion/media/resource/Publications/The%20Musician/The-Musician-all-editions-2015.pdf?ext=.pdf)
9. [Rico Rodriguez (1934–2015), Jamaican Music Atlas](https://jamaicanmusicatlas.com/entity/person/rico-rodriguez)
10. [WBSS Media: Rico Rodriguez](https://wbssmedia.com/artists/detail/2593)
11. [2 Tone Records: Artists – Rico Rodriguez](https://www.2-tone.info/artists/rico.html)
12. [Interview with Rico Rodriguez, Reggae Vibes (Peter I)](https://www.reggae-vibes.com/articles/interview/2025/11/interview-with-rico-rodriguez/)
13. [Rico Rodriguez, Reggaeville](https://www.reggaeville.com/artist-details/rico-rodriguez/details/)
14. [Rico Rodríguez, el trombonista de la música jamaicana, El País (10 September 2015)](https://elpais.com/cultura/2015/09/10/actualidad/1441843515_837444.html)
15. [Trombonist Rico Rodriguez gets his due, Jamaica Observer (10 October 2012)](https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2012/10/10/trombonist-rico-rodriguez-gets-his-due/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Latin American and Caribbean scenes › Caribbean scenes: dancehall, reggae, soca, kompa, zouk › Artists, groups, and people: Caribbean scenes: dancehall, reggae, soca, kompa, zouk*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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