Words by Jesse Serwer—

Now 80 years old, Ernest Ranglin (or Ernest Ranglin O.D. fi di yardies dem) is one of the giants of Jamaican music. His name may not be as recognizable as some of the musicians and artists he’s played alongside (which include Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Sonny Stitt, among others) but, with accomplishments spanning mento, ska, reggae and jazz, he is, by most accounts, the most significant guitar player in the island’s history.