Current Swell, a band based in Victoria BC, is in the foreground of the “new roots” music front pushing out of Canada’s west coast. The band has been around for a few years getting their early recognition around the world as a mainstay in the “surf rock” community. Their sound continues to develop into a blues and roots feel, gaining even more popularity with their fans while sharing stages with bands such as Xavier Rudd, The Beautiful Girls, Bedouin Soundclash, the Beach Boys and many others.

As the band progressed through 3 full length albums and multiple national tours they gained international attention. “The online community has always backed us and is a big reason for our success”, said Lang, of their iTunes, YouTube popularity. The bands newest album, “Protect Your Own”, produced by Todd Simko(producer of Xavier Rudd's, Food in the Belly) is a slight departure from the direction of some of their other albums but has been well received none the less. Being a new addition to Canada’s Fontana North label and Japan’s Surf Rock Records is a testament to the bands growing momentum. “We believe in what a band stands for, the instruments we hold, our voices, a real song and a good time” said one band member. Solid song writing and musicianship are always backed by a solid groove, and that is distinctly “Current Swell”.

Playing bigger venues and festivals has taken the band to a new level in the past year. Not only larger audiences, but a larger “Swell”, with western Canadian fans being treated to a sometimes 6 piece band. “Kiltlifter” Dave, on the trombone has been making the rounds on stage, as well as “Ghosty” who joined after the Swell’s long time bass player Louis, moved along. Scott Stanton and Dave Lang are both on guitars while Chris Petersen has the beat locked down on drums. “Sometimes you just wanna jam with all your friends at once and it's great we get a chance to do that sometimes” said Stanton. “Getting to jam with someone you look up to, is even better” he said of the bands recent touring schedule with Australia’s “Ash Grunwald”. Fans would often get to see everyone trading solo’s and banging their heads to some bluesy mash up and loving it all the way through.

The coming year is looking good for Current Swell, with plans to tour extensively, including a much anticipated return from their Australian Tour in early 2010. The buzz is that the Swell have a whole batch of new songs that they have been developing to release a record this year...

http://currentswell.com>>

Cuban-Canadian Singer Songwriter Adonis Puentes returns to his homeland of Canada for a string of dates on Vancouver Island.  Adonis is returning from an International tour which included the US and Asia. He will be joined by special guest Valentin Puentes,  Adonis’ father and guitarist who is visiting from Cuba. The band will also feature Noah Becker on Saxophone and James Young on Bass. The show will include Puentes’ original compositions along with traditional music of Cuba. This will make for a blazing night of Latin sounds and grooves for dancing.  Adonis Puentes, born into an atmosphere charged with Cuban sounds, was drawn to music at a young age, by his father’s guitar playing and growing up in a house across the street from his hometown of Artemisa’s Cultural Centre. At the age of 6 Adonis joined a Children’s Guitar Ensemble formed by his father, Valentin, and by the time he was 14 he was singing and writing his own music. At 21 Adonis became a finalist in a national televised singing competition and his notoriety began to soar. In 1998 Adonis moved to Canada where he and his brother toured extensively as the Latin fusion legends, 'The Puentes Brothers'. Adonis continues to compose, sing and perform internationally staying true to his Cuban Roots with a contemporary feeling. Adonis is a Juno and Latin Grammy nominated Artist proud to present his music and culture to the world.  If you like your music steeped in Cuban dance rhythms and sensual vocals, this one's for you.

http://www.myspace.com/adonispuentes>>

Skampida was born in Bogota, Colombia in 1998 as an innovative and diverse fusion of Colombian folkloric rhythms, and urban sounds like ska, punk, klezmer, polka, rockability, powercore, hip hop including gypsy influences and drum n’ bass. In 2003 the “Stereoblaster” tour took Skampida to over 20 cities in Colombia. For more than 12 years, the band has performed all over Colombia, including a two-year tour in the United States that garnered them instant recognition in important cities like Miami and New York. Skampida has shared stages with band like ALICIA KEYS, WHITE LION, OUTERNATIONAL, DEVOTCHKA, LILA DOWNS, CULTURA PROFETICA, FERMIN MUGURUZA, LENINGRAD, GOGOL BORDELLA, AMIGOS INVISIBLES, KIMIA NAMOKILI, SKINNERBOX, LOS PERICOS, RUDIE CREW, SPAM ALL STARS, AUTENTICOS, DECADENTES, KING CHANGO and others. In 2010, the band is ready again to conquer North America as part of their promotional tour “Zombie Policers” of the new album, that began in their hometown with some national festivals, passes through Canada (Victoria Ska Fest) and will travel to a great number of clubs in the United States.

Nominations and Awards

2001 Rock al Parque (the biggest free entrance rock festival in Latin America) Nominated for “Revelation Band” of the festival

2002 Nominated by Much Music Channel for best ska and reggae video for their F.D.T. single

2003 Nominated by Shock Magazine for best ska and reggae band and best live performance

2004 Best Music Video Award: “Best Ska and Reggae” Video by Much Music

2005 Winner of the Best Latin band in Miami by New Times

2010 the top 10 of 2010 by Shock Magazine

http://skampida.jimdo.com>>

Swami ('So Who AM I?') is the 21st century hybrid sound of displaced souls... Blending their British-Indian bhangra roots with a healthy upbringing of alternative electronic club mayhem laced with bi-lyrical hip-pop conversation unlike any other...Call it whatever you want, but prepare to DesiRock...Award-winning producer Diamond 'Swami' Duggal started the group Swami with drummer and brother Simon ‘Subs’ Duggal, vocalist Taz Singh and Indian percussionist Kam Bura in 1997. The band performed a number of European shows before releasing their debut cult album Desi Nu Skool Beatz (1999). The album brought together a new open-mindedness of influences from the Indian sub-continent and the alternative, electronic club mayhem of the west unlike any predecessor. The new hybrid sound of “Desi Beats’ was born and the guitar surfing electronic title track ‘Mehbooba’ went on to feature in the Olsen Twins Warner Brothers movie ‘New York Minute’ (2003). Constantly pushing the boundaries of international music, Swami's follow-up album So Who AM I? (2005) scaled new heights of mind-altering musical richness. The title track DesiRock embraced clubs the world over with DJ Swami’s unique leftfield electronic beats and anthemic bhangra melodies and reached even wider audiences in the EA Games FIFA World Cup 2006 video game as well as the UK movie ‘Mischief Night’ (2006). The release of EQUALIZE (2007) ventured way beyond Swami’s London studios with a new found excitement of globe hopping melodies, crossing rhythms and languages unlike any predecessor. With their core trademark electronic bhangra sound, EQUALIZE went much further afield interacting with the parallels of North African hip-hop of France, the Zulu Rn’B of South Africa, the black soul and rap of east coast USA, as well as the sounds of their London via Delhi DJ hybrid electronic mixing…. The result was a unique commercial edged pop record with the lead track Hey Hey bringing a heavy-hitting unstoppable funky electronic desi dancefloor groove…Now, for 2010, Swami bring together their eclectic musical journey so far with a collection of their most popular songs alongside two brand new songs simply entitled 53431. With a touring line-up featuring Diamond on guitars, keys, vocoder and decks, vocalists Sups, S-Endz and Liana, Pravin on drums, Bobby P on dhol and Az on bass, be prepared for some energy-driven live shows across the globe…With the futuristic music video for the 53431 lead track Electro Jugni already chalking up half a million plays online in just a few weeks and an alternate English video entitled She's Mine hitting screens soon, the futuristic space journey of Swami’s 53431 is here…

http://www.myspace.com/swamimusic>>

Pigs is Canada's most authentic Pink Floyd Tribute. Formed in 2008 in Victoria, British Columbia, the band have been amazing audiences ever since with their dynamic re-creation of one of the world's favourite rock groups. Pigs' claim to fame is their authenticity, which means looking, sounding and feeling like the real Pink Floyd in their hey-day: the 70's. An audience can expect long, pyschedelic jams to such songs as 'Shine on You Crazy Diamond' and ' Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun' as well as impassioned performances of emotional material like 'Comfortably Numb' and 'Us and Them'. Audiences lose themselves in the band's lights and visuals, which give the music an otherworldly feel. With the passing of Richard Wright in 2008, fans of Pink Floyd lost hope of ever again seeing their favourite band re-united. Pigs offers the next best thing: an authentic look back into the breathtaking past of one of the world's most timeless bands.

www.canadianpinkfloyd.com/>>