Mario Pascal
St. Louis, Missouri, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Live music is always good and I love their style - a reggae, Afro-caribbean, R&B fusion. Reminded me of Stevie Wonder, Doobie Brothers, and India.Arie all stewed together in a delicious spicy peanut butter soup. Umm-umm good. It really took me back to my youth. On my BioDad side of the family - he and my uncle performed music like this at the family house. Acoustic & bass guitars jamming, saxophones blowing, African dancing, and lots of love fatigue-clad happy-nappy dredlocked peoples. It was great. Check Mario Pascal & Roots Fusion out and download some free tunes. - The Fête Society
Mario Pascal’s music is more than just music. He calls it a music ministry, with "messages in the form of upliftment, meant to keep our lives better."
Pascal says that in simpler terms, what he does is a "global fusion," incorporating Afro-funk, folk, roots rock, bossa nova and reggae.
"Depending on the mood or feeling, I might hit you up with a Living Colour song, or I might do a Tracy Chapman song. But reggae is always the foundation," says Pascal, who lists Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, John Coltrane and KRS-One as influences.
Pascal, who sings and plays guitar, says categorization just isn’t for him. He’ll leave that to industry types.
Since playing locally for the past decade, including a few years spent with the band Cosmosaic, Pascal has realized that he walks down a different path musically. This forces him to create venues, whether it’s performing in an Ethiopian restaurant or an off-the-radar lounge like Urban.
He also plays from 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Racanelli’s Cucina in the Delmar Loop, and he has a CD titled "Light Up the Darkness."
"The Loop is an epicenter where creativity comes from," Pascal says.
He’s set to perform at the Summer Fusion event Sunday, featuring him in "Full Monty"-style — meaning you’ll get it all and probably then some.
"Hold on to your drinks a little tighter, because we’re going to shake up the place," he says.
- stltoday.com
Discography
Light Up the Darkness-LP(2009)
Photos
Bio
With intellect and historical perspective, Mario Pascal is a refreshing new artist in World Music and Global Fusion. As a child of Haitian immigrants, his beginnings were humble and inspired. .Mario Pascal began his career writing and reciting poetry in college. Over time, his writings grew to lyrics and musical compositions. Today, Mario is a gifted singer, songwriter and guitarist in his own musical genre. "Its funny all the time people ask me what kind of music do I play. I tell them what I play you aint never heard. There is no section in the stacks for AfroFolkFunkRootsRockReggae with spiritual consciousness.
Mario describes his own music as fun, uplifting, groovin, and thought-provoking. Roots music is about people moving to lifes rhythms. Some of those stories can be meaningful and still be fun. All songs that I write or choose to play I relate to in some way, shape, or form. My music will always reflect who I am.
Mario Pascals voice is seasoned with the experiences of living in a transformational era in America yet shaped by his ancestral memories. This is more than just music, to me it is a ministry. Im on a mission to call the together the righteous souls of the earth for the sake moving to a higher more colorful vibration.
Spanning musical the spectrum, Marios influences range from Haitian Folk Songs to Hip-Hop. In addition, one of Marios greatest influences, the prophet of reggae music Bob Marley, showed me that you can have a major affect on people, places, and systems alike with the simple stroke of a guitar, and a melody that captures the hearts of people of all kinds.
While Marios heart is in reggae music, he also credits his family as influential role models to him. The more that I learn about my past and family lineage I become filled with a greater sense of purpose and drive. To know the struggles, hardships, joy, and success that different family members have achieved in different parts of their lives guides me to new voices, thoughts, lyrics, and melodies that I thought were not present or possible. It is my greatest hope to convey these rhythms and sounds in a way that resonates deeply with my audience as much as it does within me.
Marios strongest intention is that his music will provide a new means for him to reach out to his community. I am also an educator so I know how the youth struggle to find their place in a world so much more confusing and distracting than when I was growing up. I know they need guidance and protection from the ills of the world that claim to have their best interests in place. Music is a way for us to meet on common ground and relate on one human vibration no matter where the person may find challenges in their own lives.
Throughout his life, musical and other influences have shaped Mario Pascals songwriting abilities that garner energy from the ancient skills of West African Oral Tradition yet with modern sensibility. Marios reggae fuzion(fusion) sound is rooted in Rootz and Rockerz of Trenchtown yet pulls from the congas of AfroCuba, guitar strokes from Bossa Nova Brasil, vocal and musical arrangements from traditional Haitian Troubadours, wrapped around tightly in a banner of red, gold, and green fast and furious AfroBeat N Funk.
Mario has plans to complete his 2nd independent album by the Spring 2011, while performing on bigger and more diverse stages. Following his upcoming CD release concert to perform songs from his new album, Mario Pascal will be making short tours around the U.S. promoting Mario Pascal: Trial By Fire. We are living in some interesting times where extremes are manifesting in ways that have never been seen or experienced; from my people suffering in Haiti to people in different parts of the world experiencing new freedoms and joys never thought possible. I want to take that ride with my audience and use my voice and music as a way to ease the stress and guide a light toward what makes us better as people, human-beings, and as children of the Most High, Jah Rastafari!
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