A little less than two months after his death, the Government of Jamaica has announced that ska, rocksteady and reggae pioneer Wilburn ‘Stranger’ Cole (also spelt Strangejah) has been awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer for his outstanding contribution to the development of Jamaican music. This posthumous award is a bittersweet moment for his family. “We are grateful to be recognised,” Stranger’s son, Theodore ‘Squidly’ Cole, told The Gleaner. “But I’m sad that he didn’t collect himself.