Inner Circle, Gonzo (Tribal Seeds), Warrior King
Mezzanine
08/19/2015 08:00 PM PDT
$20 Advanced
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Inner Circle
When looking at Inner Circle and their 20 year plus history in the reggae field there is much more than what meets the eye. This Jamaican bred, Grammy award winning quintet, is one of the world's most respected reggae groups with a long string of successes stretching back to the mid-70′s. Inner Circle blends a special style of pop-oriented Jamaican beats and energy that have made them the leading stars of their movement. Their spirit through the power of reggae within live performances has allowed the band to transcend the traditional reggae niche and create a widespread crossover appeal. Inner Circle plays at many of the world's largest music festivals, headlining alongside such towering pop and rock music icons as Elton John, Van Morrison, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Carlos Santana, and many others.
In 1978, while playing for the One Love Reggae Peace Concert in Jamaica, the historic event in the film "Heartland Reggae," which featured Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, the band achieved a major breakthrough when Chris Blackwell signed the group to Island Records. That same year, they achieved substantial commercial success with the Island album "Everything Is Great," which became a Top 20 hit in the U.K and a Top 10 smash in France, and produced the popular singles "Mary, Mary" and "Music Machine."
Tragically, just as the band was poised for a major international breakthrough, Jacob Miller, the lead vocalist was killed in a car accident on March 23, 1980. Devastated, the rest of the band broke up. Ian Lewis and Harvey moved to Miami and opened a recording studio named Circle House, while Roger Lewis joined them not too long after. Inner Circle became one of the first Jamaican groups to tour in the U.S.
Circle House Studios remains one of the most prominent recording studios in Miami to date and was the home of the 2014 worldwide smash hit "Happy," by Pharell Williams.
Inner Circle achieved new levels of international success in the 1990s. The title track of the album "Bad Boys" became a #1 hit in almost every European territory, and sold approximately seven million copies worldwide. Meanwhile, the Fox television network chose "Bad Boys" as the theme song for its reality show Cops, premiering in March 1989. As the program turned into a hit, "Bad Boys" became a household pop-culture reference. Marking the 25-year anniversary that "Bad Boys" has been on Cops, it has been named the #1 most played reggae song across the world. "Sweat (A La La La La Long)" exploded across the world right after, topping the charts in several countries in Asia, South America, Australia, and New Zealand as well as the European continent where it became the most played record in Germany and remained at #1 for a full three months.
After winning a 1993 Grammy for Best Reggae Album with "Bad Boys," the band scored again with the 1994 album Reggae Dancer, which earned another Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album. "Summer Jammin" was featured in the soundtrack of Eddie Murphy's film Beverly Hills Cop III. The track "Bad Boys" became a hit again when it was used as a title song for the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence action film with the same name, including the sequel, Bad Boys II.
Since 1997 Inner Circle has undertaken one of its most intense periods of touring, playing to enormous crowds, often in territories where few touring acts dare to venture.
"In the last three or four years, we've been everywhere in the world, " says Roger Lewis. "Brazil, Guam, India, Taipei, Beirut, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Asia, India the United Arab Emirates," continues Lancelot Hall. "To some people a world tour is North America, Europe and Japan, but not us. If it's on the map, we're going there." "Traveling around the world, you really learn that everybody's basically the same," observes Ian Lewis.
Inner Circles recent collaborations include a remix of Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dog's "Young Wild and Free," featuring Bizerk, and I-Octane, which has reached up to 3 million views on YouTube, an amazing feat for a reggae track. Recently in May of 2014 young artistes and producers Chronixx, Steven McGregor, Don Corleone and Supa Dups assembled together at Circle House Studios. Chronixx is the latest to work with the Miami based veterans. He sang the lyrics to Tenement Yard with Miller's distinctive vocals from the original track in the background. According to Lewis, "Jacob would be very happy…It's a perfect bridge of past and present." He says, "This song is gonna run Reggae Music." Inner Circle is also releasing new projects with the talents of Nengo and Flo Rida in a song called "Fall in Love." They also recently did a "One Love" remix and included the works of artist Pitbull, as well as Peter Morgan.
Roger Lewis, Inner Circle's co-founder and guitar player, says working with contemporary reggae acts is their way of reaching out to a new generation.
"In a way (it is) to reach a new 'demo' but we collaborate with the artists we feel have the right vibe and who touch us musically," he told the Jamaica Observer.
"We are all one, regardless of our different ideas, and music is the best way to communicate that. Music is the highest language; it transcends politics, geography, and skin color, and it transcends all the things that separate people." According to Touter Harvey, "The name Inner Circle means family, and that's what we are. We're all devoted to the band and each other, and that's what makes us strong. We believe in the spiritual vibes of family and friends. Our success is nothing without warm, genuine people around to share it. Being successful is day-to-day just trying to be happy and keeping it real."
Gonzo (Tribal Seeds)
Out of the South Bay Los Angeles area comes a solo artist with a smooth and soulful style all his own. Gonzo, born Ryan Gonzalez, blends a wide variety of musical influences and love-inspired messages to create a unique sound he refers to as "Roots-Reggae-Soul." Within the last few years, his talent has been widely recognized on several levels within the reggae community, opening incredible opportunities for the roots musician still in the young stages of his career.
Best known for having a suave approach to delivering lyrics expressing his love of women and good ganja, Gonzo's musical roots run back to when he was just a child. Inspired by his father's encouragement to become a musical artist at a young age, Gonzo grew up in a household listening to Motown, Classic Rock, Oldies, Salsa, R&B, and Soul. At the age of fifteen he began playing guitar, adding another element in his musical journey. The young musician soon linked up with some high school friends to form his first band, now widely known as Fortunate Youth.
On July 1st, 2011, Fortunate Youth released their debut album, Irie State of Mind, with Gonzo as the lead guitarist and one of two lead vocalists. After two national tours in support of the album, Gonzo parted ways with FY to embark on his solo career. The newly independent artist wasted no time making a name for himself and in December of 2012, Gonzo delivered his first full-length album, Rocksteady, to the masses.
With Beyond I Sight as his "go-to" backing band, Gonzo immediately hit the road to promote his debut solo effort. Soon after, San Diego's Tribal Seeds offered him the position of lead guitarist and back up vocalist for the highly respected band touring year-round out of Southern California. Following a few nationwide tours alongside Tribal Seeds, several solo shows up and down the west coast with Beyond I Sight, and his own set at the annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival in 2014, Gonzo released his second full-length as an independent artist.
His sophomore album, Red, was officially released on June 3rd, 2014, and hit #6 on the Billboard reggae charts. Red and Rocksteady were both produced at Imperial Sound Recording Studio by fellow roots musician and Tribal Seeds member, E.N Young. Released under E.N's Roots Musician Records label, the albums both reached #1 in the iTunes reggae category and continue to be a great representation of Gonzo's talent as an independent artist. Gonzo's solo act made its nationwide debut on the Representing Fall Tour 2014 as he doubled up with an opening solo set backed by Beyond I Sight and finishing off each night showcasing his top-level guitar skills on stage with Tribal Seeds.
To this day, Gonzo continues to tour relentlessly around the nation with Tribal Seeds while seeking any opportunities to showcase his solo talent when his busy schedule allows. Most recently, he has been invited out to the Hawaiian Islands for a run of shows with island natives, Inna Vision and The Steppas. He also just premiered the music video for "Runnin'" off the Red album.
One of the most sought out independent artists in the reggae scene, Gonzo has collaborated and written hit songs with Tribal Seeds, Fortunate Youth, E.N Young, Leilani Wolfgramm, Tomorrows Bad Seeds, Sono Vero and more. The young musician has already accomplished many great things in his short career and plans to stay non-stop for as long as his talent allows. Make sure to catch Gonzo coming to a city near you!
Warrior King
Like a bolt of lightening from the sky, Rasta messenger Warrior King has burst upon the scene, utilizing his gift of song to spread Jah truth throughout the land. 23-year old Warrior King was born on the 27th of July, 1979, in Kingston's Jubilee Hospital, soon moving to Clarendon, then settling in the growing city of Portmore at age eleven. "From birth I've always loved music, but it was not until I attended high school at the age of thirteen that I thought about it as something I could do myself," Warrior King explains. "At that time I followed Bounty Killer's style, but then my friend Warrior Mark, him said, 'You have the potential. You have the talent.' From there I started increasing my own thing, and with encouragement from my peers and inspiration and t'ing, the music started to flow."
Like many successful Jamaican entertainers, Warrior King gained his earliest stage experience in talent shows. "I started out with school concerts at first," he says. "At the time when I just came inna music, I used to do some combinations with a yout' named Likkle Blacks, Marlon Stewart. We used to do Tastee's Talent Show together, so we could really start getting exposed and gain experience." When he first started out Warrior King chatted in a hardcore deejay style, like his original hero, Bounty. A switch to the more holistic "singjay" sound came gradually. "It's a natural thing what just grow inside of me, even without me realizing," the singer reasons. "People started telling me they hear I can sing now. So, really and truly it's just a natural change." Even his name is an extension of this evolution. "I changed my name from 'Junior King' to 'Warrior King' because it have a more spiritual feel to it. Fighting against oppression, fighting against wrong. I'm Jah warrior, yuh know, fighting a war of rootical love.
Warrior King's 2001 debut single, "Virtuous Woman," was an international smash, its righteous lyrics prompting the Jamaica Observer to declare the singer "one of the artistes who made a difference in 2001." Since that auspicious beginning, Warrior King's compositions have consistently charted not only in his native Jamaica, but throughout the entire Caribbean, as well as New York, London, Tokyo and beyond. "A Friend Indeed" is currently getting heavy rotation in Jamaica, while "Jah Is Always There" was a recent summer smash on Atlanta's More Fire chart. The inclusion of "Never Go Where Pagans Go" on VP Records' compilation set "Reggae Gold 2002" further raised the artist's profile. Also included are "Virtuous Woman," "Never Go Where the Pagans Go" and other compositions that have built Warrior King's reputation.
Now the conscious singer has released his first full-length album. His VP Records debut, Virtuous Woman, features production by such heavy hitters as Sheldon 'Calibud' Stewart, Richard "Chabano" Brown, Lion Paw and Penthouse as well as guest appearances by Jahmali and dub poet, DYCR. With titles like "Love Jah and Live" and "Boast Not Myself," the CD's seventeen tracks are designed, says Warrior King, to "uplift people's heart, mind and soul in a positive way. All of the songs are written by me, through inspiration of the Father. Everybody can relate to a song on the album, I'm sure of that." The album opens up with "Power To Chant," a spiritual invocation of Jah that neatly sets the tone for what's to follow. Each song featured on the cd has a different style, but the message emphasizes purity and truth.
Warrior King believes that education is the key to betterment and hopes that his music will serve to convey the teachings of His Imperial Majesty, Hailie Selassie I. "As a Rastafarian you just don't sing music, you sing music with a purpose and a mission. To the four corners of the Earth," says Warrior King, "I carry my music, and the message of the King. And the message of love, to all people of all races."
Venue Information
Mezzanine
444 Jessie St
San Francisco, CA 94103
http://www.mezzaninesf.com/calendar.asp