The world seems emptier today. A great artist a great man and a great friend of ours passed away yesterday, Count Dubulah himself, Nick Page.
I first came across Nick with Transglobal Underground who were throwing all sorts of musical influences into an extraordinary musical mix. There was also a version of ‘Tongue of Flame’ that Nick shaped for Natacha Atlas that haunted and inspired me for ages. We were lucky enough to do a few gigs with Transglobal and saw how the music came to life live.
Nick began his collaboration with Real World Records, alongside Neil Sparkes as the Temple of Sound, producing People’s Colony No 1 with Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali. This was followed by the Mexican band Los de Abajo — recording in the Big Room with much consumption of tequila (naturally!)
During his work creating the much-loved Ethiopian project Dub Colossus, he also found the wonderful young pianist Samuel Yirga whose career he largely launched.
Nick was always full of ideas and enthusiasms and would create an abundance of interesting projects and passions, later with his musical partner Bernard O’Neill. When Syria symbolised much of what was wrong with the world Nick had already found real joy in their music and produced and created a landmark album The Road To Damascus. With Xaos he explored his mother’s Greek roots in another fascinating piece and like all his projects he did so with warmth, a generous musicality and a really original intelligence.
Nick Page in the studio with Dub Colossus' Feleke Hailu. Photo credit: York Tillyer.
I kept in touch with Nick in recent years and always enjoyed our exchanges. He faced all his challenges with real grace and good humour and the last I had heard he seemed in a great place physically and emotionally. It was a real shock to learn he had been taken into hospital.
With all the magical mixes he turned his hand to, Nick carved a unique and well-deserved spot for himself in the British music scene. He touched so many lives with his extraordinary talent and extraordinarily big heart. Thank you so much.
Nick Page (6 November 1960 – 11 May 2021)
words by Peter Gabriel
Gallery
Temple of Sound & Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali. Photo credit: York Tillyer.Open full screen image
Dub Colossus collaborate with some of Ethiopia's finest performers. Utilising Azmari and traditional styles as well as the popular singing styles of the 60s and 70s the album seeks to combine the golden years of Ethiopique beats and Ethiojazz with the dub reggae styles of early 70s groups like the Abyssinians and the Mighty Diamonds.
Syriana is more than just a band. It's a concept. An attitude. A perspective. A place where themes of tolerance, liberty and hope come wrapped in Arabic rhythms and played through a Western filter. Where free musical interaction is a given - despite the ironies bestowed by political reality. It's a project without a single dominant instrument. In Syriana the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts.
LDA v The Lunatics is one of the more glorious moments in the history of clashes between global music styles ... and the best album Los de Abajo made thus far. The Latin ska band collide with global dance act Temple of Sound in a recording studio in Mexico City with explosive results.
Temple of Sound was created by Neil Sparkes and Count Dubulah (former members of Transglobal Underground). This album brings them together with Pakistan’s powerful and passionate Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali in a brilliant collaboration.
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By Peter Gabriel
Main image: Nick Page. Photo credit: York Tillyer.
