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Michael "Ibo" Cooper OD (14 January 1952 – 12 October 2023) was a Jamaican reggae musician and musical educator. He was member of the pop-band Inner Circle and founding member of the reggae band Third World. Third World was originally formed in 1973 by keyboardist Cooper and guitarist/cellist Steven "Cat" Coore. Both had received formal training at different music schools run by their aunt and mother respectively in Jamaica, and both had played around the Kingston reggae scene before joining the original lineup of Inner Circle around 1968, when they left to form their own band in 1973. They took Inner Circle's drummer Carl Barovier and lead singer Milton "Prilly" Hamilton. Colin Leslie was recruited from outside to be the bassist but was quickly replaced by Richard 'Richie' Daley. Barovier was replaced shortly after by Cornell Marshall. The group made its live debut that year at a stage show at the Carib Theatre during Jamaica's Independence Celebration. They played around the Kingston club scene and made a name for themselves as one of the few fully self-contained bands around. He also appeared with reggae artist Burning Spear.

In later years, he taught full-time as head of the Caribbean, Latin American and jazz department (Popular Music Studies) at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, Jamaica.

Cooper was appointed Officer of the Order of Distinction (OD) in 2005.

Cooper died from cancer on 12 October 2023, at the age of 71.

References

1. "Michael 'Ibo' Cooper is dead at 71". One876Entertainment. 13 October 2023.
2. Davidson, Vernon (13 October 2023). "'Ibo' Cooper dies". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
3. "Third World co- founder Ibo Cooper dies at 71". The Caribbean Camera. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
4. ^ Stephenson, Olivier (18 October 2023). ""I Would Like To Be Remembered Positively" Michael Ibo Cooper, A Conversation Chronicling His Life, Music and Impact". Jamaica Magazine. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
5. Walters, Basil (19 June 2011). "Children preserving their dads' musical legacies". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
6. Dawes, Kwame (2004). "Michael "Ibo" Cooper". BOMB. 86. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012.
7. "Michael 'Ibo' Cooper, founding member of Third World, has died". Caribbean National Weekly. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
8. "Musician and educator Michael 'Ibo' Cooper has died". Radio Jamaica News. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
9. "Ibo Cooper a 'venerable stalwart' in music says PJ Patterson". Jamaica Observer. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.

External links

• Michael Cooper discography at Discogs

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• 1952 births
• 2023 deaths
• Jamaican reggae musicians
• Jamaican music educators
• People from Clarendon Parish, Jamaica
• Officers of the Order of Distinction
• Deaths from cancer in Jamaica
• Keyboardist stubs
• Caribbean musician stubs
• Jamaican people stubs