Saturday, September 9^th, 2023

The Skatalites

The Big Takeover, DJ Gringo

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Doors: 6:00 PM / Show: 8:00 PM 21+ Years

Event Info

Venue Information:
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11249

Valid photo ID required at door for entry

Doors: 6:00 PM
Show: 8:00 PM

Artist Info

The Skatalites

2023 marks the 59th Anniversary of The Skatalites. The original members played on hundreds of recording sessions before forming the band in 1964. Backing most of the vocalists in Jamaica at that time, including Bob Marley, Toots and The Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe and many more The Skatalites secured their place in musical history early on. After disbanding in 1965 the individual members continued playing in various groups as the music evolved from ska to rocksteady to reggae.

In 1983 The Skatalites reunited to play Reggae Sunsplash in Montego Bay and subsequently in London at The Crystal Palace for the U.K version of The Sunsplash event. A few years later they began emigrating to the U.S.A and in 1986 the first US shows began at The Village Gate in NYC. The band supported Bunny Wailer on The Liberation Tour in 1989 and followed it up in 1990 embarking on their first-ever headline tour of The U.S.A. The Skatalites have not stopped touring the world ever since and continue to be available for festivals, casinos, and intimate venue settings. Their unique infectious brand of authentic Jamaican ska excites audiences of all ages across the globe year after year.

“We hope you will enjoy listening to our music as much as we enjoy performing it for you.”

The Big Takeover

Traditionalists or progressives? Fronted by the charismatic Jamaican-born singer and songwriter Nee Nee Rushie, the seven-piece New York band The Big Takeover plays original music that is rooted in and reverent toward the genres and rhythms of Jamaican pop: reggae, rocksteady, ska. They are devotees of Desmond Dekker and the way the old school did it. At the same time, The Big Takeover crosses lines and blends traditions like global pop fusionists. Their deceptively complex arrangements and big hooks connect with the spirit of Motown and the uptown sophistication of the 21st century retro soul and R&B revival scene.

That rich sound, along with their rigorous performing schedule and studio work, has been paying off. In 2018, the Big Takeover completed a successful 12-state tour. They were enthusiastically received by 10,000 at Omaha’s Jazz on the Green festival. They delivered an outrageously infectious and nuanced acoustic performance on the popular reggae-centric Sugarshack Sessions. Meanwhile, the band has faired well with National Public Radio- making stops into NPR stations all around the US.

The bands latest single is a cover of Sophia George’s 1985 Dancehall hit – “Girlie Girlie.” It was recorded as part of a UK compilation album containing 40 covers of classic Trojan Records hits from artists across the world. It was produced by Manuel Quintana (Rachel Yamagata, Robbie Dupree, among others) & Rob Kissner, and mixed by Grammy Award Winning engineer Danny Blume.

The Big Takeover has shared the stage with such acts as: The Wailers, Sister Sparrow & Dirty Birds, The Meditations, English Beat, Jefferson Starship, Ryan Montbleau, Pete Seeger, John Brown ’s Body, The Slackers, Beres Hammond, Sister Nancy, & many others.

DJ Gringo

DJ Gringo's dance floors have been moving and uplifting the crowds in NYC and across the globe for decades; and he continues to spread the message of upliftment, consciousness and unity through Reggae, with weekly spots in NYC and Brooklyn, steady monthlies, international shows, and as a Radio Personality on SiriusXM The Joint42, every Sunday from 1pm - 7pm EST.

Born into a musical family with a DJ for a father, by 6 DJ Gringo was playing sets alongside his dad at family gatherings and local parties, until he got his own turntables at 13. He was deeply rooted in the Reggae and Caribbean music of his heritage, but by 10 was also immersed in the HipHop of his peers, deejaying throughout High School, at college parties, house parties, dancehalls, Caribbean parties & sound clashes.

The 80’s NYC Reggae & Dancehall scene was ablaze, fueled by a wave of Caribbean immigrants in the 70s, bringing their Sound System culture with them, and everywhere Reggae, Dancehall, & Culture was being played, young DJ Gringo was in it. By the 90’s, with a high school friend Marlon, he created Stateside Revolution. DJing was second nature to him, like breathing. A firebrand, known as much for his DJ skills, as for speaking out against injustice and for unity, DJ GringoNYC made his name alongside the greats and the up and coming DJs and sound systems - DJ Black Roy, Supertone Soundsystem, Kilimanjaro, Ricky Trooper, Mighty Crown, King Addies, Road International, TC Connection, Klassy Dan of Klassy Entertainment, Sticky Mikes, DJ Khari. His talent & constant gigging brought him in contact with all the Reggae legends and he began producing & writing songs for & with artists like Freddie McGregor, Nadine Sutherland, Glen Washington, Mr. Easy & more, often at the iconic Philip Smart’s HC&F studio.

The start of the 21st Century saw DJ Gringo busier than ever, with concurrent weeklies, and constant guest appearances, some weeks he would DJ every night, some nights at more than one spot, his energy seemingly limitless. In the 90's he also added radio personality to his CV, working with "Caribbean Blend” for a while on 105.9WNWK then joining a friend from college, Christopher "Love" Williams on 93.5WRTN on Friday nights for the "Positive Vibrations Show". Going further with the radio personality aspect of himself in 2003, DJ Gringo (NYC) joined Sirius Satellite Radio, at first just twice a week, but soon he could be heard 7 days a week on The Joint42, his smooth voice between playlists uplifting listeners, promoting Reggae and recounting Reggae & Dancehall music history in the making.

In 2013 DJ Kenny joined the Stateside Revolution Sound, and can be heard alongside DJ Gringo regularly. That same year, DJ Gringo NYC began a collaboration with Hot97's Radio Host ShaniKulture, including packing the Reggae Room at the monthly Freedom Party.

There are no signs of slowing down in the near future - 2016 saw DJ Gringo, (in addition to his various weeklies, several monthlies and guest spots) playing at Trinidad’s Twelve Tribes of Israel’s ‘7 Days’ event, opening for Ky-Mani Marley’s “Maestro” album release party Le Poisson Rouge (NYC), playing for Meta & the Cornerstones’ show at SOB’s (NYC), and behind the scenes cultivating projects in the pipeline for 2017 and beyond.

Still pushing, this busy DJ can't stop, won't stop!!! Summers find him at the Coney Island Amphitheater as the opening DJ for acts like Beres Hammond, Third World and Ziggy Marley, in winter keeping his international fans dancing on the high seas when he was brought on board as a DJ for Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise.

Catch him every Sunday from 1pm – 7pm on SirusXM 42 The Joint, playing the best in Reggae and interviewing top artists like Damien 'Jr Gong' Marley, Fortunate Youth, Common Kings, Dre Island, Protoje, & Chronixx.

You can dance the night away on the hottest dancefloor in the city, at his multiple weeklies, across NYC - every Saturday at Harlem's Solomon & Kuff (NYC) for Cane & Drum; and, of course, Sattama Reggae Sundays at Bar 13 (NYC) in partnership with LadyTiaReggae, going strong since 2003; and after 8 years, his iconic Tune in Tuesdays - NYC's longest running afro-caribbean Tuesday weekly - outgrew Bembe’s and has moved to the larger Kinfolk.

“MUSIC is LIFE, and DJing has always been a part of who I am. When I look out on the dance floor while I'm playing, and see people dancing, courting, throwing their hands in the air, clapping, excited and loving life, nothing else compares."

I don’t feel the need to stop and, still at this point, after a few decades of doing this, I am not satisfied, I still feel like I have so much more to do… I’m going back to writing and producing, I’ll keep traveling the world, continue to spread the culture of Reggae music and its’ message of Love, Consciousness, Revolution, Faith, Strength, Unity & Upliftment.”