Michael “Ibo” Cooper, has died at age 71. The career musician and teacher died on Thursday (October 12, 2023.)
Born January 14, 1952, he is a founding member of the Third World Band, and a member of Inner Circle.
Third World was formed by Cooper and Steven “Cat” Coore, who had received formal music training in Jamaica. They left Inner Circle in 1973 and recruited members like Carl Barovier, Milton “Prilly” Hamilton, and others to form a fully self-contained band that gained recognition in the Kingston reggae scene. Cooper also collaborated with reggae artist Burning Spear.
Coore told WMV in an interview, “Ibo was the band leader of Inner Circle so he became the leader of Third World.” Ibo stayed with the band all through their most successful years until 1997.
While he was leader of the group, Third World, signed with Island Records, toured Europe with The Wailers and released their self-titled debut album in 1976. Their cover of “Satta Massagana” from the debut album became a local hit, gaining recognition.
Third World’s success peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s with their hit single “Now That We Found Love” from the album “Journey to Addis,” reaching the top 10 in the UK and becoming a top thirty hit album in the UK.
They performed with Stevie Wonder at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1981, and Wonder wrote their hit “Try Jah Love” in 1982.
Third World’s music also made an impact in the UK jazz-funk scene, notably with their reggae single “Lagos Jump” in 1983.
Their dancefloor output gained renewed interest in the UK in the early 1980s, especially with the release of their extended version of “Dancing on the Floor (Hooked on Love).”
The group’s music evolved with the release of “Sense of Purpose” in 1985.
Their song “Now That We’ve Found Love” received a club remix in the UK in 1985, though the original reggae version remained popular among DJs and radio stations.
More recently, Third World’s rendition of “Now That We Found Love” was listed as the best cover song by a reggae artistin RollingStone Magazine.
Ibo was the first president of JARIA and a teacher for several years at the Edna Manley College Of The Visual & Performing Arts where he was instrumental in creating several bands.
Ibo’s son DJ Arif Cooper died of cardiac arrest on March 5 this year. His wife passed away recently.
