The founding members consisted of Hugues Payen (violin), Arnaud Vial (guitar), and Charles Delaporte (double bass), but shortly expanded into a lineup that included Camille Chapeliere (clarinet), Aurelien (guitar, DJ), Sonia Fernandez Velasco (vocalist), and Antoine Toustou (trombone, drum machine). This dilemma prompted the band to go on a hunt for additional musicians, which they found through the help of social media sites like myspace. While their music was perfectly suitable for an album release it did nor fair well as a live act. Initially the group did not have a problem functioning as a 3 piece as they were able to produce lush compositions through their expansive knowledge of various instruments and recording techniques. Caravan Palace originated as a trio, but have since more than doubled in size. Having had the privilege to see Toots and the Maytals at big UK festivals Glastonbury and Bestival, I can attest that they can still pull a huge crowd, and that by the end of their set, everyone in the crowd will be smiling, skanking, and hugging strangers.The group mixes in modern electronic pop beats heard by acts like Daft Punk and Justice, but also integrate musical cues from 1920s style jazz artists such as Django Reinhardt. They continue to perform impeccably, and the feel-good vibes of the music are infectious- guaranteed at any Toots show, there will not be one person in the audience who isn't grooving. The group's skanktastic reggae rhythms and gospel-style backing vocals, completed by Hibbert's unmistakable, cheerfully rasping voice, give their music an irresistibly catchy feel, which is only added to in their live sets. They formed in the early 1960s when ska was a hot commodity, and by the '70s they were releasing internationally acclaimed, hip-shaking hits such as Pressure Drop, Monkey Man, Sweet and Dandy and 54-46 That's My Number- written about Hibbert's brief jail internment in 1966. The band, hailing from Jamaica, are led by Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, a five-time Grammy award nominated and incredibly charismatic frontman.
Toots and the Maytals are some of the founding fathers of ska and reggae music, and the fact that they are still touring today is commendable, and most definitely something to get up and dance about.
0 kommentar(er)
