Macaque

Formed from the talents of...The kiltlifters...the Bombass...Karuna and Jimmy Hazzard, Macaque will explode horns and old school ska into your face like a box of smashed bananas!

For those hip with the jazz side of the reggae-ska spectrum, be sure to get a grip on Macaque. This Vancouver Island ‘ska little-big band’ channels the old-school vibe of the Skatalites with modern compositions and arrangements, covers and originals, and is heavy on the horns.

Born out of the Van Isle Ska-Jazz Orchestra, which rocked the Victoria Skafest Mainstage show in 2004 to killer reviews, Macaque draws from a pool of established ska and jazz musicians on Vancouver Island. Heading the list is lead arranger and trombonist Dave St. Jean. St. Jean, of the Kiltlifters, has led award-winning jazz combos, played with professional big bands, and is notable as an on-call musician for Skafest, including his performance with Fishbone in 2005.

Another Kiltlifter, saxophonist, vocalist, and ska devotee Matt Carter, will arrange much of Macaque’s music. Apart from his role as primary composer and arranger for the Kiltlifters and the Van Isle Ska-Jazz Orchestra, Carter has scored music for film, television, radio, various multimedia projects, and Nanaimo ten-piece funk ensemble Decadence.

Josh Gellman – the hardest working man in Nanaimo show business, as member of the Latin-flavoured Musica Vagabundo and funk-reggae crew Karuna – rounds out the songwriting trio. Keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist, and master of the charango, Gellman brings serious experience and a love of South American music to Macaque.

This is a band equally enjoyed by those who want to be blown away by musicianship and those who just want to dance to the riddims. Be sure to get a taste of Macaque!