Fina Dupa
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Fina Dupa

Denver, Colorado, United States | INDIE

Denver, Colorado, United States | INDIE
Band Rock Funk

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Fina Dupa: Gotta Have The Dupa!"

If Fina Dupa were a drink, what kind of drink would they be? "We go with any alcohol beverage really?" says Dupa founder, guitarist, and primary songwriter, Devon Kurzweil "In terms of where Fina Dupa is at, we're kind of a sophisticated drink…like a mojito."

Fina Dupa (pronounced “fine-a-doo-pa”) the moniker, a bastardized translation of "fine ass" is a funk soul reggae-influenced 4-piece from Denver who are routinely selling out quaint cozy venues along the Front Range. No surprise their debut disc bears the apt title of The Booty EP.

Fina Dupa and The Booty EP qualify with its unique sound and is accessible to just about any crowd. "Soulglo" off The Booty is a scorching orchestration capable of making even the shyest of wallflowers realize he's got more moves than a 70's funk hustler. A cover of General Public's "Tenderness" softly speaks to the listener, as seducing as the original, laying you down after a night of cutting the rug and getting your groove on. "Bubbler," a track that ultimately defines the true Dupa sound, wakes you up, more succinct and tranquil than a tequila sunrise.

Kurzweil along with Will Greer on bass, Daniel Levin (a.k.a. Mr. Lizard Man) on vocals, and Josh Kyser on percussion, create acid jazz influenced orchestrations that rift through and with every member of the band with improvisational complex chord progressions. What does that mean? It’s funk! And you will shake your ass to it all night long!

But the band exists live. Fina Dupa live is an experience all its own. A happening if you will. Such is the reason the band is not cutting studio albums every month like Pearl Jam: they're out gigging…hardcore. "We try to go for a jazz festival size sound for all of our shows. It's fresh; even if we play a cover it’s fresh, new, inventive. We really try to make it a better experience than what people expect from the usual show when they go out. Even though we play a tune on the album, different things happen live. Live is the place to see the band!"

Yet Kurzweil, who has logged countless hours in the local music scene, consciously avoids any kind of over exposure, so as to leave their audience hungry for more. His experiences for many years on a local level with 'Buckner Funken Jazz' as well as the radio project 'Air Tight Experiment,' [with future Dupa singer Levin] earned him an honorary yet unofficial diploma on how to gig the Front Range. "A lot of venues want to fit the general population," he says. "A club will want classic rock, or dance music or Top 40. We're not that band."

Conscious of its own musical integrity, they strategically book their gigs where they won’t always have to compromise their sound. "Over the last 2 years, we've limited the number of gigs that we play. What we want to leave a gig with is above and beyond what we get paid. We want to leave a gig, with "Man I had a great show and I connected with the audience and the band had a great show, and the audience connected with us."

With elements of Miles Davis, Karl Denson, Galactic and Boulder's own Ordinary K, Fina Dupa, sounds like a hybrid form of Soulive and Sublime and routinely splices in teasers of the aforementioned bands in their live shows. "We're all adept musicians and our plan was always to get people in into the band that can really play. And that makes for a dynamic live show. We can go from a Greyboy Allstars tune into some old Weather Report and into Sublime. Really jazzy jamming intricate and complicated songs that an average listener doesn’t see or hear live, but our audience appreciates and is looking for."

With a new disc in the works, Fina Dupa will be playing Highlands Square Street Festival on June 17th. "We'll be recording in early next year. It'll be a big release with CD release party in various cities across the Front Range," says Kurzweil.

www.FinaDupa.com and www.myspace.com/finadupa
- Image Magazine


"Fina Dupa: Give It Back"

3 out of 5 Stars
I love it when local bands put their lyrics in their albums. Not enough bands do that, and it’s no wonder that Fina Dupa went the extra mile with their latest CD Give It Back.

Fina Dupa doesn’t necessarily make leaps and bounds in terms of musical growth on Give It Back, but what they have managed to do is really dial in their funk-rock barroom boogie. The Denver-based four piece has a wealth of guest musicians on Give It Back which serve to make the compositions much more full without taking away from the already strong delivery of the core band.

Official release parties will start in February.
— Brian F. Johnson
- Marquee Magazine


"Unified Groove: Fina Dupa Blends Many Styles Into a Cohesive Funk Fusion"

By Vince Darcangelo
Thursday, January 31, 2008

Tonight, Denver funk-rock outfit Fina Dupa unveils its new CD, Give it Back, at the Lazy Dog on Pearl Street. But while the new record -- 11 tracks of groove-centric, hook-heavy rock -- is a boon for booty-shakers, it is a bane to record store clerks wondering in which section to file Give it Back.

It's a dilemma that Fina Dupa's guitarist, Devon Kurzweil, understands.

"We're a step outside the typical genre for the Front Range or Denver," he says. "There are a lot of rock bands, and we're a funk-rock fusion. Then you have the jam bands, the hippie bands. In our genre, I guess, that's the other extreme."

Kurzweil admits that when Fina Dupa first formed in 2004, the group was working in the jam band schema.

"(But) we realized we didn't want to be pigeonholed into this jazz-jam genre," he says. "We're much better (song) writers.

"The focus is to write quality songs," he adds. "We don't want it to be obtuse."

At their core, Fina Dupa's songs contain two key elements: strong, melodic choruses (which Kurzweil describes as radio-friendly, "but it's not going to come out like what you're going to hear on the radio today,") and hard-driving grooves that power the songs forward. Kurzweil says the band has been compared to a blend of Maroon 5 and the Police, though even that loose description may not be broad enough to capture the band's diversity.

For example, Give it Back features the song "Crisis," which showcases the band's heavy rock roots, sandwiched between two ambient pieces, "Untie," which relies on subtle instrumentation and fluid harmonies to develop an orchestral whole, and the disc's standout track, "Black Mamba," the head-bobbing groove of which borders on trance. Meanwhile the songs "Bubbler" and the title track delve into reggae.

"I'm not writing anything specific to a genre," Kurzweil says. "I'm looking for the musical element of the song to kind of support how it will turn out.

"It could end up being a Latin tune. Just because we're not a Latin band doesn't mean we're not going to do it on the album," he adds. "You'll hear a lot of different influences coming out. It's a challenge on the one hand from keeping the album from getting askew and at the same time keeping it to sound like Fina Dupa."

To capture this diversity, the size of the band is as malleable as its music. Fina Dupa contains four core members -- Kurzweil, singer Dan Levin, bassist Will Greer and drummer Josh Kayser -- but sometimes performs with as many as seven people, including a horn section. The band will be playing as a seven-piece for tonight's CD release party.

Tonight's Lazy Dog show is the beginning of what Kurzweil hopes to be a big year for the band. In February, March and April Fina Dupa will play CD release parties throughout Colorado, from the bigger Front Range to the smaller mountain towns that make up the group's core touring base. Then the band will set its sights on a national audience, with plans to tour the country throughout the year.

"It's a real big album for us," Kurzweil says. "It's the first major production and national release for the band. It's an exciting time."

Contact Camera Music Writer Vince Darcangelo at vdarcangelo@yahoo.com. - Boulder Daily Camera


"Fina Dupa Dishes Funk in Denver"

3 1/2 stars of 5

So many Colorado bands pump out the same style of music that it’s easy to overlook most of them, assuming the worst. After all, how many more Grateful Dead wanna-be’s does the world really need?

Fina Dupa (pronounced Fine-ah Doo-pah) shatters the mold of what we expect from such bands and proves that the Centennial State spawns more than bluegrass.

OK, so they’re from Denver, not the mountains, but who cares?

Their second full-length album, “Give It Back,” is far more fun than the latest flavor of jam band without sacrificing any of the musical integrity.

“Give It Back” sounds like the best of both worlds actually, possibly the love-child of Jamiroquai and Wide Spread Panic. It’s dancy, catchy, and original; and it avoids the mudslide into dullness that has become so common on albums.

A simple four-piece at the core, Fina Dupa invited a few guests to fill out the instrumentation that includes the organ and horns. The result is a funky, disco-rock album that’s easy to groove with. In an industry where originality is a rare commodity, it’s refreshing to hear some local boys getting it right. “Give It Back” is a fun romp through many genres, but it sounds completely unique, defining Fina Dupa’s sound.

Essential track: Crisis. - Vail Daily (Vail, Colorado)


"An Assorted Journey of Funk and Rock"

Undoubtedly, as you read this article, there are stereos near and far propelling the smooth reverberations of Fina Dupa’s latest release Give It Back. This 11 track CD will take you on an assorted journey of funk and rock like few other albums can. Right away, you’ll feel the need to jump on-board as you hear the catchy Will Greer’s catchy bass lines propelling you through the opening track, Untie. As you rock steadily along, you’ll be presented with naturally smooth recordings to ease your soul, roll your rock, and rustle up your funk fix. If your ear has the itch for some fresh and funky local grooves, then don’t think twice about getting yourself a copy of this can’t miss satisfaction. Once you’ve got it, there’s no way you’ll want to Give It Back. - Colorado Music Buzz


Discography

Give It Back (2007 Luxuryville)
The Great Taste of Fish - Live at Redfish (2006 Luxuryville)
The Booty EP (2005 Luxuryville)

Photos

Bio

Fina Dupa sounds a little like Maroon 5 and The Police, but mostly like Fina Dupa. They expand the boundaries of groove music by adding strong vocals, copious audience participation, tight arrangements, and a fast-moving set.

The Fina Dupa recording, "Give It Back", includes 11 songs ranging from throw-down funk to head-bobbing R&B, to lay-back reggae, and several points in between - including songs in a few styles that are too innovative to be yet named.

Fina Dupa brings something a little different, and very interesting. The experience is upbeat, musically interesting, and always accessible to the audience.

See an updated gig calendar at www.finadupa.com/shows.htm.