Tama Lundon, a member of New Zealand reggae group Herbs, has died.
Former Herbs member Toni Fonoti announced Lundon’s death on Facebook on Wednesday, describing his former bandmate as an “amazing, humble person and genius musician”.
Lundon was the original keyboard player for the band, which was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
Fonoti said he met Lundon in the late 1970s at a bar in Auckland’s Onehunga where he was playing.
“I asked him to join Herbs but he was happy where he was. Now 40 years later, Tama and Dilworth Karaka and all the other members have gone on to leave a great musical legacy,“ said Fonoti.
“God bless all the members of Herbs, past and present. Not many of us left now.”
Fonoti said he hoped Lundon was “jammin’ with his brothers” – former members Charlie Tumahai, Fred Faleauto, Tama Renata, Thom Nepia, Carl Perkins and Willie Hona – in heaven.
“Just want to say thank you for having played with youse,” said Fonoti.
The founding members of Herbs were Dilworth Karaka, Spencer Fuisimalohi, Fred Faleauto, Phil Toms, and Fonoti.
Tama Lundon joined Herbs in 1983, contributing to albums such as Sensitive to a Smile and Homegrown, and was part of collaborations with artists such as Dave Dobbyn on Slice of Heaven, Tim Finn on Parihaka, and Annie Crummer on See What Love Can Do.
