Upcoming Events
FRASE + Friends in Victoria
@ Victoria Event Centre Our packed fall schedule gets even hotter with a one of our most dancetacular Saturday nights ever! We are so stoked to welcome our new friend FRASE as he brings his deeply soulful and relentlessly groovy tunes back to Victoria. Combining hip-hop, reggae, soul, blues with big bass feels and flourishes of house and future bass, Frase's incredibly unique sound has made him a favourite on the Canadian west coast and beyond – garnering new fans through appearances at some of the area's premier festivals like Bass Coast, Shambhala, Atmosphere Gathering and Koksilah, to name a few. He'll be joined on stage by his partner and collaborator EMBODY MVMT. The two make an electric pairing every time they take the stage together, feeding off the energy from the crowd and channeling that energy back off the stage with one of the most engaging stage shows two people can create. Frase sets are always guaranteed to feed your soul while moving your feet (and hips) and we can't wait to bask in the musical warmth.Joining Frase for this special Saturday night is Vancouver's red-hot make-out powerhouse I M U R. This fantastically unique trio has been making serious waves with their electric R&B blend, racking up millions of plays on Spotify and spots in ad campaigns with companies like Lululemon and Patagonia. The band creates some of the most sensual sounds the west coast has to offer, with live-looped instrumentals, serious future-bass vibes and the dynamic vocals of singer Jenny Lea. I M U R is definitely going to lay down some tunes that are going to make you want to get close with your partner. And last but certainly not least, kicking off this Saturday night is the mighty LABORER, one of Washington state's most powerful roots reggae singers. He'll be playing a special acoustic set to warm us all up and ease us into a full night of serious dancing and sweating. We can't wait to see all our familiar Ska & Reggae Massive, and hopefully some new faces, out for this very special night!
NO DOUBT 90s THROWBACK TRIBUTE
@ Capital Ballroom Almost two decades gone, but as fresh as ever in our minds, the 90s were the decade ska music took centre stage on the global music scene. As a new crop of bands were inspired by the sounds of Jamaica and blended them with the sounds of punk, hip-hop and alt rock, ska music was firmly planted into our collective musical consciousness. Few bands at the vanguard of that movement left an impression as lasting as that left by So-Cal legends, NO DOUBT. One of the best, most fun tribute bands you're going to see around these parts, DOUBTLESS pays tribute to this truly iconic bands of the 90s.Comprised of members of the some of Vancouver Island's coolest bands – LoveCoast, Dope Soda, Timebenders and Fox Glove – DOUBTLESS plays the songs of No Doubt with a unwavering sense of fun and palpable love for the classic originals. After debuting at Victoria Ska & Reggae Festive night, is our good friend TECSTYLEZ. One of the city's most reliable connoisseurs of groove, TecStyleZ always has something ready to get you moving. al in 2018, and laying down two blistering performances up Island earlier this summer, we are stoked to welcome back this incredible band.
The 90s weren't just a time for ska music though. West Coast hip-hop is indelibly linked to the decade as much as the bouncy sounds of ska and there might be no better keepers of that energy and that sound than Victoria's very own ILLVIS FRESHLY. Combining old-school hip-hop flavours, dope MCing, live instruments and big west coast bass, Illvis Freshly is rapidly building a small empire of loyal followers. As they grow and spread their name far and wide – playing festival slots around the continent, rocking headlining shows around western Canada and releasing a string of lights-out singles and albums – hometown shows back in Victoria each always feel a little more special than the last. This Saturday night is looking to be another in a line of unforgettable shows from the hometown heroes. Joining us for the party, holding things down on the wheels of steel throughout the night is our good friend TECSYTLEZ. One of the city’s most reliable connoisserus of groove, TecStylez always has something ready to get you moving.
A Skary Spooktacular with Burnt, Hillside Hooligans & Grossbuster
@ The Rubber Boot Club Our Skary Spooktacular is a musical family reunion that brings together many of the same humans that embarked on a California tour together almost 15 years ago. That family is One Drop and Burnt but today's incarnation of it brings us Burnt, Hillside Hooligans and Grossbuster (Nathan Cummings one of One Drop's lead singers).We are excited to have California-based reggae/ska group BURNT back to Victoria after their appearance at Victoria's 20th Anniversary Ska & Reggae Festival this past summer. Burnt who love coming to Canada's west coast was initially based around Coachella Valley, but then relocated to San Diego in 2005, and eventually settled in San Francisco. The group combines reggae, dub, ska, soul, hip-hop, punk, and acoustic rock, and features environmentally and politically conscious lyrics, as well as songs about partying and relaxation.
Burnt are the perfect match for their brothers Hillside Hooligans that blend ska, soulful reggae and punk. Hillside Hooligans comprise four of the eight members of One Drop.
Grossbuster brings us a mixture of hip hop, reggae and drum n' bass. Nathan Cummings "Grossbuster" constantly experiments with new sounds with his midi controller. His knowledge of hip hop and reggae combined with his experience as one of the Island best keyboard players makes Grossbuster a versatile one-man unit!
ALBOROSIE & THE SHENGEN CLAN with Arise Roots
@ The Upstairs Cabaret After ten long years in the making, Victoria BC Ska & Reggae Society is proud to announce the confirmation of Alborosie & Shengen Clan to Victoria for the first time on Friday, November 15th, 2019 at Upstairs Cabaret. This will be the band’s first ever Western Canadian appearance.Tickets on sale on Monday, September 23rd at 9am PST on ticketweb.ca, Lyle's Place & Vinyl Envy (Note Lyle's Place is closed on Mondays). Tickets will also be available soon at Area 51 in Duncan and Lucid in Nanaimo.
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Alborosie is a shining example of a person that defied the odds with sheer determination, heart and raw talent. Born in Marala, Sicily, Alberto D'Ascola is a versatile musician that plays guitar, drums and keyboards in addition to being a world renowned singer and living legend.
He was first a part of a successful Italian reggae band called “Reggae National Tickets” in the early 90s. After almost ten years with that band his love for reggae and desire to be closer to the Rasta culture, brought Alborosie to the Island of Jamaica, in 2001.
While in Jamaica despite being first tagged with the name “Borosie,” (a name with a negative connotation) D’Ascola used the skills and experience he built prior to his arrival to work as a sound engineer with artists such as Ky-mani Marley and Wyclef. In tandem working with those artists, Alborosie launched his solo career. Long after moving to Jamaica Alborosie said in an interview, “I never came here to be popular. I never wanted to top the charts or be a billionaire. I don’t care about that. I just wanted to be close to the music that I loved and that I couldn’t find in Italy.”
Alborosie’s first solo album Soul Pirate in 2008 received international acclaim and rose to the top ten on the reggae Billboard charts. The anthem “Kingston Town” off that album is still the most popular song Alborosie has to this day. Since Soul Pirate, Alborosie has gone on to international stardom in the reggae world working with numerous living legends such as Chronixx, Sizzla, Protoje, Gentleman and The Wailers.
In fact his recent release in 2018 called Unbreakable: Alborosie Meets the Wailers United was one of the singer's best-received albums to date, featuring collaborations with J Boog, Jah Cure and of course members of the Wailers. The album rose to the Top Ten of Billboard’s reggae charts.
The confirmation of Alborosie with his band “the Shengen Clan” in Victoria BC is a special milestone for Victoria BC Ska & Reggae Society and for reggae fans throughout Western Canada.
Supporting Alborosie & The Shengen Clan is LA's roots reggae party rockers ARISE ROOTS. This will be only Arise Roots' second Canadian appearance after their first Canadian debut at Victoria's 16th Annual Ska & Reggae Festival supporting New Zealand's House of Shem. Anyone that has had the opportunity to see ARISE ROOTS know they're a root reggae fan's paradise.
