Qui ska ?

I wish I could spare you the ”group of friends who decided to share their common love for Jamaican music, groovy concerts & roots” kind of story, knowing that it has become a hackneyed cliché in the French ska/reggae scene... Yet it does suit the 100 Grammes de Têtes, though the band sticks out from the crowd in many ways. Few of the current Ska combos deserve to be called ”fun makers” the way they do ; not so many bands here succeeded in staying faithful to the authentic Reggae sound with such consistency.

Ever since the band was founded in 1994, the 7 musicians, based in Catalonia but of different origins (French, West Indian, English), have performed with U-Roy, I-Jah Man, Toots & The Maytals, The Wailers, IAM, Human Spirit, Mighty Diamond, Saï Saï, Mister Gang, The Toasters, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Macka B., Red Wings Moskito Stings... They have given countless concerts, both plugged and unplugged, in bars, ”ferias” as well as at big venues or festivals, gathering an increasingly enthusiastic and faithful audience. In as many as 350 shows since 1997, and always good vibrations on stage, the Jazzyest Ska combo in the country has proven its warmth, simplicity, its excellent relationship with its audience and shown a real inclination for improvisation.

No wonder that their first album, ”Qui ska ?” was a live, released in 1998 and distributed on a small scale at concerts. In the following year, several songs were released on various compilations. And then came the ”Studio Version” in mid-June 2000 (Crash CD 28), embellished with new songs. What we have here is a band capable of mixing old school Reggae tunes, 60’s Ska grooves and Jazz melodies in a fantastic concotion : 12 compositions, comprising instrumentals as well as songs in French and English, a rich, appealing mixture with a powerful brass section, captivating bass and lively rhythms.