It is very refreshing sometimes to see musicians making music just for the pure joy of it, without aspirations of commercial success or popularity. Granted this is very rare but we came across a band today that exemplifies this mindset. Let us introduce you to The Juka Tribe. According to them their only goal is to spread their eclectic sounds to as many people as possible and spark interaction between bodies and minds on the dance floor. Consider Indie Band Guru sparked.
Juka Tribe originating from Birmingham, Alabama is definitely a surprise to me considering their influences of Middle Eastern, Brazilian, African, hip hop, blues, and rock music. The band began after numerous Tuesday night jam sessions during which John Scalici and Cody McClain would practice and improvise upon a wide variety of exotic music on percussion instruments. This grew to incorporate John’s love of blues guitar and samples and eventually added lyricist Shariff Simmons and bassist Jay Johnson as bona fide members of the band. The sound of World Boogie was born.
Juka Tribe’s music obviously qualifies as “something different”, extremely hard to pin to any genre or compare to any sound-alike bands. Listening to their song ‘Shine’ is an experience. From Shariff’s interesting spoken word to Pink Floyd samples to extremely interesting instrumental sounds that even I find hard to place, it sucks you in and doesn’t let you go. The bluesy ‘Butler Blues’ holds nothing back either leading you from the jungles of Brazil to the Middle East’s deserts all in only 3 minutes. Their live shows are said to be events of their own often incorporating fire dancers and drum circles.
Bottom line: Juka Tribe is one of the most unique bands I have heard in a long time. As more people are exposed to their sound I believe their fanbase will grow exponentially and lead to the popularity and success that none of the band members are actually looking for.
For more go to:
www.JukaTribe.com
