"King Canoe" can generate music with an infectious reggae rhythmn you can't resist. Featuring members of The Putbacks, Hoodangers, The Meltdown and other bands, their original tunes will appear on an album very soon, from "Lockdown Recordings" made recently.
Lead on Hammond by Dan Marsh, with Lachlan McLean - sax, Tom Martin - guit, Ben Gillespie - trom, Rohan Sherlock - bass, Luke Collins - drum & "Soup" Campbell - dubs.
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Stranger Cole, also known as StrangeJah Cole (born Wilburn Theodore Cole, 26 June 1942)[1] is a Jamaican singer whose long recording career dates from the early days of ska in 1962 through to the present (2019).
Cole was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 26 July 1942 and nicknamed "Stranger" by his family, as they considered that he didn't resemble any member of his family.[1] Cole was initially successful as a songwriter, writing "In and out the Window", which was a hit for Eric "Monty" Morris.[2] This success gave him the chance to make his recording debut in 1962, instantly finding success with singles such as "Rough and Tough" and "When You Call My Name" (a duet with Patsy Todd) for producer Arthur "Duke" Reid.[3] Further success followed with singles for Reid through to the mid-1960s, and he also worked with other producers at this time, including Clement "Coxsone" Dodd (a duet with Ken Boothe on "Worlds Fair"), and Prince Buster.[3] Further duets included recordings with Gladstone Anderson (on "Just Like a River")[4] and Hortense Ellis, the tendency to record duets apparently due to his shyness when it came to singing alone.[1] In the late 1960s and early 1970s he recorded with several producers, including Bunny Lee, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Sonia Pottinger.[5] These included further material with Todd as "Stranger & Patsy." In 1971 he emigrated to England, where he toured extensively, and moved on again to Canada in 1973, settling in Toronto.[3] He worked as a machinist in the Tonka Toy factory in Toronto and later opened a record store the first Caribbean shop in Toronto's Kensington Market area His first album, "Forward" in the Land of Sunshine, was released in 1976, with a handful of further albums released over the next ten years, mostly on his own label.[3] In 2006, Cole released his first album in twenty years, Morning Train, a collaboration with Jah Shaka. Cole is featured in the 2009 documentary Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae, in which he and other stars of the rocksteady era reunited to record a new album of the same name, released in August 2009.[6] Cole's sons, Squiddly and Marcus, followed him into a music career: Squiddly working as a drummer for artists including Ziggy Marley and Mutabaruka;[5] and Marcus Cole (AKA KxritoXisen) producing music for his father.
Comprising of talent from all over the globe, The Pirate Ska Rebellion fuses Ska, dub, Reggae, hip hop and Latin influences to create a forcefully spirited musical experience. This eclectic outfit is newly formed with members from Chile, Italy, Scotland, Brazil and Australia combining their individual styles, musical inspirations and poetic lyricism. The sound can be punchy and uplifting and at times vigorous and heartening. The Pirate Ska Rebellion is an exhilarating force that will have the dance floor thrumming.
are a soulful roots-reggae collective, paying homage to the early Tuff Gong era whilst forging their own musical identity. Active on the Melbourne club scene circa 2005-08, the five-piece ensemble won local and international acclaim via their exciting live shows.
There are many words that could be used to describe Melbourne band The Hornstars. Funky. Danceable. Loud. Quirky (have you seen that video?). But above all else, the Hornstars are all about fun, and their primary mission is to show their audience a funky good time.
The Hornstars sound is big, brassy and hard to pigeonhole. The lineup featuring Clancy Cullen (vocals), Daniel Bardan (trumpet), Bruce Cousins (trombone), Russell B Myers (tenor sax), Joey Mount (drums), Mike Holloway (bass), Peter Bonett (keys), Gareth Durant (guitar) and Eric Morand (alto sax and percussion) bring a wide range of influences to the mix. Jazz, soul reggae - it may not all be funk as we know it, but it is definitely funky.
The Hornstars formed in 2016, legend has it, after founding members were kicked out of their ska band for allegedly being “too funky”. What came next was inevitable. The band quickly recruited their 9-piece lineup and confected a set of catchy and danceable songs, which they took to the pubs and bars of Melbourne and beyond, and eventually released as their debut album in March 2020.
During the COVID-enforced hiatus, band members continued to write, getting together when restrictions allowed. The band’s song writing continued to evolve, sometimes reflecting what was going on in the world outside (witness the hard funk grooves of "No Gigs" and "Half Way There"), and at others expressing aspirations for brighter post-pandemic future ("Touch", "Say Goodbye"). Occasionally emerging between lockdowns in 2021, the Hornstars were greeted with an enthusiastic reception and sold out shows.
With their second album Half Way There released in August this year, the Hornstars are looking forward to playing more live shows in 2022 and beyond. And while we are still living in uncertain times, here is one thing to be sure of - The Hornstars are still having fun in 2022, and so should you.
Emma Donovan (born 1981) is an Aboriginal Australian singer and songwriter. She is a member of the renowned musical Donovan family. She started her singing career at age seven with her uncle's band, the Donovans. In 2000, she became a founding member of Stiff Gins, leaving the band three years later to release the solo album Changes in 2004. She performs with the Black Arm Band and released a solo EP, Ngaaraanga, in 2009.
She has been nominated for multiple Deadly Awards including Female Artist of the Year, and performed at the opening of the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. She won Best Female Artist at the 2009 BUMP Awards. Donovan appeared in the ABC series Dynasties in 2004,and was the subject of the 2005 SBS TV documentary Emma Donovan: Gumbainggir Lady.
Donovan has sung with and performed with Indigenous Australian musicians such as Frank Yamma, her cousin Casey Donovan, Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, Kerriane Cox, Christine Anu, Tiddas, Yothu Yindi and Jimmy Little.She has also performed with Paul Kelly, Ursula Yovich, and Shellie Morris.
With their roots in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Melbourne-based band The New Monos combine inspiration from their South American heritage and diverse musical experience with the flavor of contemporary Buenos Aires, mixing Reggae, Folklore, Cumbia, Rock, Rumba, Hip-hop and Latin beats, all expressed with the passion of the Tango.
