User:Shangoband

The Shango Band is a D.C. area reggae group that sings about real life and current world issues with a likeable mix of smooth, lovers-edged tunes and harder, more "true" roots tunes. With all-encompassing sound, strong instrumentation and quality songwriting, the Shango Band has been performing since the late 1980's and won the award for Best Reggae Band in the 2001 D.C. Annual Reggae Music Awards. The band's bass-player, lead singer, songwriter and producer, Englishman, spent a number of years in England as a youth. He has performed with many reggae bands there and around the U.S. for about 30 years. Englishman received WAMMIE awards in 1989 for Best Male Vocalist, in 1990 for Best Instrumentalist, three in 1991 and two more in 1992. He has been a Master Artist in the D.C. Folks Arts Program for the Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Other members of the Shango Band also have performed with reggae bands throughout Europe and the U.S. They include Eric (Spiduki) McDermott (drummer/singer) and Jackson (Professor) Briscoe, a graduate of Howard University and MIT, where he studied mathematics and classical music. The Shango Band performs at many university night clubs and international events in Europe and the U.S. Their live performance keeps the audience feeling upbeat, irie and positive! Englishman and the Shango Band recorded their latest CD, Got to Know Your Purpose, in Iceland, while completing their European tour.Briscoe was born and raised in the UK, and as a teenager was a member of the London-based Revelation Reggae Band, taking initial inspiration from players such as Paul McCartney, Stanley Clarke and Robbie Shakespeare.[1][2] He then joined Ras Michael's band, with which he toured Europe.[1] In the late 1980s be began releasing records under the name Englishman, with debut album Fighting to Survive released in 1986.[1] backed by the Roots Vibration Band, he became popular in the United States, and he has been based for most of his life in Washington, DC.[1] Fighting to Survive (1986), Mighty Roots My African Sister (1986), Mighty Roots Check For the Youth (1987), Mighty Roots Meditations of South Africa (1987), Mighty Roots Roots Vibration in a Combination Stylee (1987), Mighty Roots - Englishman & Maccabee Man Machine Music (1989), Mighty Roots Shango Charisma (1992), Ras One Vibration (1995) Turning Point (1995) On Target (1996) - Englishman & Maccabee Wisdom of Steel (1999), Black Liberty 13 Joints!!!! (2001) Live in LA, Mighty Roots Compilations Check For the Best (1990), Mad Dawg [edit]with the Shango Band Keep It Real (2006) Wise Shepherd (2007), Mighty Roots [edit]References

^ a b c d Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 95 ^ Joyce, Mike (1987) "When the Issue Is The Music", Washington Post, 19 March 1987, p. C.07 View page ratings