Veteran Singer Natty Pablo Releases Second Album 'Hold A Vibes'

Veteran singer Natty Pablo was raised on the militant sounds of roots-reggae artists in Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s when that sound resonated with the country’s youth. He stays true to those influences on Hold A Vibes, his second album.

That 10-song set was released on vinyl on July 13 by Canadian company Star Zone Music, a division of Talee Promotion Inc. It is scheduled for digital release in August.

Going the vinyl route was deliberate, says Natty Pablo. That was the popular platform when he began recording music in the early 1980s.

“I wanted to put together an album of substance, meaning I wanted it on vinyl, not only streaming,” said Natty Pablo, whose first album, Good Friends, was released in 2011.

He produced that album, and acted in a similar capacity for nine of the songs on Hold A Vibes. 

Natty Pablo is from East Kingston, an area that had a flourishing live music scene in the 1950s and 1960s. The Bournemouth club was a popular venue with dance fans there, while sound systems like Stereophonic and Arrows International helped expose homegrown talent.

Because he was introduced to the music business in the era of live recording, Natty Pablo prefers working with musicians rather than programmers.

“The music has changed a lot from five musicians to one man doing everything. I didn't want that with this album so it took a while,” he said.