Skabengas

The Skabengas:

The seeds of the band were first sown during Luc and David's musical experiments during their early student years. Influenced by the diverse music of Dizzy Gillespie, Django Reinhardt, Tom Waits, Buena Vista Social Club and others, they fused a variety of sounds into a single stream of high energy twangs and unexpected melodies.

The sounds matured during a series of debauched adventures around the world. Coming back home with saner outlooks, they decided to revise and reformulate their music for public consumption. This process has been aided by the addition of 3 other band members.

Twyla Spiller first played with the band during an open night evening at the Radium Beer Hall, Orange grove, Johannesburg. Her groovy horn playing skills added a previously lacking element to the bands sound and she has become a core member of the group.

Following a gig at a house party, they realised the need for a dedicated bass player and decided that nothing but an upright bass would do.

The completion of the band was a tricky step to overcome, but after a number of trials and failed attempts, they came across their drummer, Mlungisi Shongwe. A beat fiend, whose frenetic bebop technique, suited the bands frenetic style perfectly .

The completed band offers a fresh aproach to music. With an outlook that is beyond hipster chic, indie cool or post-electro retro, the Skabengas play drinking songs, thinking songs, world music, twisted music, dance music, real music... Full-on , high impact, hot-on-the-heels dancing, swing and swagger are but a few descriptions for The Skabengas. .