Thursday, May 15, 2008

Burnaby dance band releases first CD

By Dan Hilborn
Published Jan. 14, 2004


One of the liveliest dance bands in the Lower Mainland has released its first CD.

Dubfreque, a reggae fusion band that features David Hathaway of the Burnaby-based Electric Mail Company on guitar, is the reincarnation of Roots Round-Up, which was one of the most successful small club acts in the city over the past decade.

Featuring singer Omolara Oyesiku and some of the best studio musicians in the Lower Mainland, Dubfrequency is a 12-song CD that is the perfect pick-me-up for a dreary winter day.

From the lively first track Nice It Up, to the funked-out stylings of Hip Polyester, Dubfreque proves itself a versatile band with loads of talent.

"We started up about three-and-a-half years ago when some of my buddies notice a real dearth of dance music in Vancouver," Hathaway recently told the Burnaby NOW.

Originally, Dubfreque was intended to be a backup band for a changing roster of singers, but when the guys met Oyesiku, they decided to focus their efforts on her vocals. "She's dynamite, so we rewrote the business plan," Hathaway said, of the former singer for the AfroNubians.

The band is also hopeful of garnering a Juno nomination for its self-produced, debut CD.

"A lot of stuff that gets called reggae these days is really just a guy with a drum machine stamped out with rap lyrics," Hathaway said. "I think the Juno judges will be looking for a band that gets it."

Dubfreque does get it. Everything on the CD sparkles with life, whether it's their original music or up-tempo cover versions of tunes such as A Piece of My Heart or Riding for a Fall.

Dubfreque features the snazzy trombone playing of Andy Codrington, who once played with Fleetwood Mac, and the steady bass playing of 'Papa Greggae' Hathaway, along with guitarists Mark Campbell and David Hathaway and drummer Kirk Layman.

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