Galactic

Steel Pulse was formed in 1975 in Birmingham, England, specifically the inner city area of Handsworth. The founding members were schoolmates David Hinds (the primary songwriter as well as the lead singer and guitarist), Basil Gabbidon (guitar), and Ronnie "Stepper" McQueen (bass). All of them came from working class West Indian immigrant families, and none had much musical experience. They took some time to improve their technical proficiency, often on Roots inspired material by the Wailers, Burning Spear and several other prominent Jamaican artists. McQueen suggested the group name, after a racehorse, and they soon fleshed out the lineup with drummer Steve "Grizzly" Nisbett, keyboardist/vocalist Selwyn "Bumbo" Brown, percussionist/vocalist Alphonso "Fonso" Martin, and vocalist Michael Riley.

Steel Pulse initially had difficulty finding live gigs, as club owners were reluctant to give them a platform for their "subversive" Rastafarian politics. Luckily, the punk movement was opening up new avenues for music all over Britain, and also finding a spiritual kinship with protest reggae. Thus, the group wound up as an opening act for punk and new wave bands like the Clash, the Stranglers, Generation X, the Police, and XTC, and built a broad-based audience in the process. In keeping with the spirit of the times, Steel Pulse developed a theatrical stage show that leavened their social commentary with satirical humor; many of the members dressed in costumes that mocked traditional British archetypes (Riley was a vicar, McQueen a bowler-wearing aristocrat, Martin a coach footman, etc.). The band issued two singles -- "Kibudu, Mansetta and Abuku" and "Nyah Love" -- on small independent labels, when they then came to the attention of Island Records after opening for Burning Spear.

Steel Pulse's first single for Island was the classic "Ku Klux Klan," which happened to lend itself well to the band's highly visual, costume-heavy concerts. It appeared on their 1978 debut album, Handsworth Revolution, which was soon hailed as a classic of British reggae by many fans and critics, thanks to songs like the title track, "Macka Splaff," "Prodigal Son," and "Soldiers." Riley departed before the follow-up, 1979's Tribute to the Martyrs, which featured other key early singles in "Sound System" and "Babylon Makes the Rules," and solidified the band's reputation for uncompromising political ferocity. That reputation went out the window on 1980's Caught You, a more pop-oriented set devoted to dance tracks and lovers rock. By that point, Steel Pulse was keen on trying to crack the American market, and went on tour over Island's objections. Caught You was issued in the States as Reggae Fever, but failed to break the group, and they soon parted ways with Island.

Steel Pulse moved on to Elektra/Asylum, which released an LP version of their headlining set at the 1981 Reggae Sunsplash Festival. Their studio debut was 1982's True Democracy, a generally acclaimed set that balanced bright, accessible production with a return to social consciousness. It became their first charting LP in America, making both the pop and R&B listings. The slicker follow-up, Earth Crisis, was released in 1984 and featured producer Jimmy "Senyah" Haynes subbing on guitar and bass for founding members Gabbidon and McQueen, both of whom left the group by the end of the recording sessions. They were replaced by guitarist Carlton Bryan and bassist Alvin Ewen for 1986's Babylon the Bandit, another Haynes-produced effort that ranked as the group's most polished, synth-centered record to date. It featured the powerful "Not King James Version" and won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album.

In 1988, Steel Pulse released State of Emergency, their most explicitly crossover-oriented album yet. They also contributed the track "Can't Stand It" to the soundtrack of Spike Lee's classic Do the Right Thing. In 1991, they released another heavily commercial album, the Grammy-nominated Victims, which featured the single "Taxi Driver." Backing up the song's views, Steel Pulse filed a class-action lawsuit against the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, charging that drivers discriminated against blacks and particularly Rastafarians. Founding member Fonso Martin left that year, reducing Steel Pulse to a core trio of Hinds, Nisbett, and Brown. Their backing band still featured Ewen and was elsewhere anchored by guitarist Clifford "Moonie" Pusey, keyboardist Sidney Mills, trumpeter Kevin Batchelor, Saxophonist Jerry Johnson and Trombonist Clark Gayton.

The 1992 live album Rastafari Centennial marked the beginning of a return to the group's musical roots, and earned another Grammy nomination. The following year, they performed at Bill Clinton's inaugural celebration, the first reggae band to appear at such an event. 1994's studio album Vex completed Steel Pulse's re-embrace of classic roots reggae, though it also nodded to contemporary dancehall with several guest toasters and a digital-flavored production. 1997's Rage and Fury continued in a similar vein, and was nominated for a Grammy. In 1999, the group released another collection of live performances, Living Legacy.

Fast forward a long seven years since their previous album, Rage and Fury, Steel Pulse would return yet again, this time with African Holocaust, and yet again have their ranks dwindled. Core members David Hinds (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Selwyn Brown (keyboards, backing vocals) are the only ones to remain from the band's original line-up, but they more than hold their own and they're joined by a deep roster of supporting musicians, a list too long to list. As always, the music is what's most important, and on that count, this Steel Pulse lineup indeed makes the mark. Granted, it did take them seven years to get the album out, but still it won a Grammy Awards Nomination for Best Reggae Album of the year. There's really not too much else to say about African Holocaust. Longtime fans will know what to expect. Newcomers should know a few things: above all, Steel Pulse are known for performing well-written, Afrocentric songs that are rebellious without being negative or inflammatory, and though the band membership has changed over the years, the type of songs hasn't, nor has the steady move away from dancehall that was apparent on the band's previous album. the message and music remain true to the band's principles and vision.

Steel Pulse is one of Britain's greatest reggae bands, in terms of creative and commercial success. Steel Pulse started out playing authentic roots reggae with touches of jazz and Latin music, and earned a substantial audience worldwide. Their 1978 debut, Handsworth Revolution, is still regarded by many critics as a landmark and a high point of British reggae. By the late '80s, Steel Pulse had won a Grammy and were working full-fledged crossover territory. They subsequently returned to a tough-minded, rootsy sound and have added touches of dancehall and hip-hop along the way.

The Soul Rebels formed when Lumar LeBlanc and Derrick Moss, originally members
of New Orleans’ iconic Dejean’s Young Olympia Brass Band, decided they wanted to
play the new, exciting music they were hearing on the radio while respecting the
tradition they loved. Both New Orleans natives, the pair was steeped in the
fundamentals of New Orleans jazz, but inevitably, contemporary styles of music
began to seep into their psyches. While LeBlanc attended the famed St. Augustine
High School, Moss went to Lil’ Wayne’s alma mater McMain High School, and
paraded alongside soon‐to‐be Cash Money Records CEO Ronald “Slim” Williams in
the school’s marching band. New sounds were all around and they found them as
exciting as the horn‐combo style featured in jazz funerals since the turn of the
Twentieth Century.
“We wanted to make our own sound without disrespecting the brass tradition,”
LeBlanc recalls, “so we knew we had to break away.” They found a stylistic middle
ground when they spun off and formed a band of young, like‐minded local players
from all over New Orleans. Graduates of university music programs throughout the
South, the band took the marching band format they had learned in school and
incorporated influences from outside the city as well as late‐breaking local styles –
R&B, funk and hip‐hop – especially through half‐sung, half‐rapped lyrics. “Most of
our originals have vocals,” says LeBlanc. “You wouldn’t have done that in a
traditional brass band.”
Soon, the Soul Rebels’ contagious originals and updated takes on standards won
them a loyal local audience. They began rocking some of New Orleans’ most beloved
live music venues. A chance gig opening for the Neville Brothers got them a real
start—and an official name. It was youngest brother Cyril Neville who first called
them “Soul Rebels,” a good name for a band that strived to incite positive change in
its treasured musical heritage.
Since those days, the band has settled on an eight‐piece lineup, building a career
around an eclectic live show that harnesses the power of horns and drums in the
party‐like atmosphere of a dance club. Their weekly show at Uptown New Orleans
spot Le Bon Temps Roulé has been known to descend into a sweaty shout‐along as
the band mixes up songs from its five studio albums with hits by Jay‐Z and OutKast.
While touring the U.S., the Soul Rebels have shared the stage with notable artists
from many corners of the pop and jazz worlds, including Arcade Fire, The Roots,
Bootsy Collins, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, Counting Crows, Green Day, Drive By
Truckers, James Brown, Roy Hargrove, Allen Toussaint, Chuck Brown, Terence
Blanchard, The Gap Band, Better than Ezra and many more. Averaging around 250
shows per year, the Soul Rebels have brought the party to stages as far away as
South Africa and Europe, playing some of the world’s best‐known music events,
including, Umbria Jazz Fest, Antibes Jazz Festival, The Montreal Jazz festival,
Bonnaroo, the Wanee Festival and, of course, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage
Festival.