Carlos Malcolm: Bandleader and Musical Innovator Dies

PALM BAY – Bandleader Carlos Malcolm, one of Jamaica’s acclaimed pioneer musicians, died on May 6 in Palm Bay, Florida. He was 91.

As leader of the Afro Jamaican Rhythms during the 1960s, Malcolm blended jazz and ska in his arrangements. This sound can be heard on songs like Bonanza Ska, an instrumental inspired by the popular western television show.

Malcolm also arranged scene music for two early James Bond movies, both starring Sean Connery. Dr. No, the first in the franchise, which was filmed in Jamaica in 1962, the year it was released. And Thunderball, which came out in 1965.

Malcolm was born in Panama where his Jamaican father, Wilfred Malcolm, worked as a bookkeeper in the Panama Canal Zone. The senior Malcolm was also a musician and show promoter who brought American stars like Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson to Panama.

A self-taught musician, Malcolm was a contemporary of future greats like trombonists Don Drummond and Rico Rodriquez, guitarist Ernie Ranglin and organist Aubrey Adams.

He lived in the United States for over 50 years, first in California, then Florida.

In 2000, Malcolm received the Prime Minister’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jamaican government. In January 2017, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association.

Later that year, he was awarded the Order of Distinction (Officer class) for his contribution to Jamaican music by Jamaica’s government.

Carlos Malcolm also authored the 2017 book, A Personal History of Post-war Jamaican Music: New Orleans Jazz, Blues to Reggae.