IT could be safely argued that Mr Stephen “Cat” Coore was blessed with his mother’s gift for music.

That explains the brilliance he displayed from his early days as a member of Inner Circle band through to the years he blessed Jamaica and the world with his talent as a founding member of Third World band, easily one of this country’s greatest exponents of our culture.

His mother, Mrs Rita Angela Innis Coore, was a Trinidadian who studied music and broadcasting at McGill University in Canada and later at the Royal College London.

Significantly, she was instructed by Mr Lloyd Webber, whose son Mr Andrew Lloyd Webber became one of the most famous Broadway writers of all time.

When he was four years old, Cat Coore — whose father Mr David Coore was deputy prime minister of Jamaica from 1972 to 1976 and also served as finance minister — started showing a liking for music when his mother played it in their house.

History records that, on noticing that, she taught him a few simple things on the piano. However, it was the cello that caught his fancy and as such his mother sent him to learn the instrument. Thus began the career of one of Jamaica’s greatest artistes, a musical genius whose creative spirit helped carry reggae from the small island he loved to every corner of the globe.

Cat Coore was not merely a participant in reggae’s global rise; he was one of its architects.

His guitar and cello work stood out for its intelligence, warmth, and daring. He possessed a rare ability to blend roots reggae with jazz, funk, soul, and pop without ever diluting the music’s Jamaican essence. In Cat Coore’s hands the guitar was not just an instrument of rhythm or melody, it became a voice capable of speaking joy, struggle, hope, and spiritual resolve in the same breath.

But Cat Coore’s brilliance extended far beyond technical mastery. He was an artist in the fullest sense of the word — a thinker, a visual creator, and a cultural ambassador. His artistic expressions reflected a mind constantly exploring identity, freedom, and beauty, and they reinforced the idea that reggae is not just music, but a philosophy and a way of seeing the world.

Through a raft of albums, stage presence, and sound, he helped shape a holistic artistic vision that set Third World apart. Indeed, Third World’s success on international stages was no accident. It was the result of musicians like Cat Coore who understood that reggae could speak universally while remaining proudly Jamaican. At a time when global audiences were still discovering the depth of Caribbean music, he helped present reggae as modern, versatile, and intellectually rich. In doing so he opened doors for generations of Jamaican artistes to follow.

It is impossible to speak of Stephen “Cat” Coore without placing him among the pantheon of Jamaican legends. Like Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, he transcended borders and genres, carrying the message and sound of Jamaica to the world.

As we have pointed out before in this space, legends do not fade when they die; they transform. Cat Coore’s legacy lives on in Third World’s timeless catalogue, in the musicians he inspired, and in the artistic courage he embodied. Every note he played, every composition he shaped, and every visual or conceptual idea he shared continues to resonate. His music remains a living archive of creativity and excellence, reminding us of what is possible when talent meets vision.

Like his fellow Third World band member Mr Michael “Ibo” Cooper who predeceased him just over two years ago, Cat Coore is easily a national treasure. The nation should recognise them as such.

Mr Coore gave the world beauty, depth, and soundtracks for reflection and celebration. He may be gone in body, but in music and art he is eternal.