Katchafire are an all Māori New Zealand
roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the ho ...
band from
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton (, ) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato, Waikato region. With a territorial population of , it is the country's List of c ...
.
History
Katchafire formed in Hamilton in 1997, originally as a
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...
tribute band.
[Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2013)]
Katchafire keeping NZ reggae scene ablaze
, ''Jamaica Observer
The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...
'', 24 November 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2014 The band's name derives from ''
Catch A Fire
''Catch a Fire'' is the fifth studio album by the reggae band The Wailers (aka Bob Marley and the Wailers), released in April 1973. It was their first album released by Island Records. After finishing a UK tour with Johnny Nash, they had sta ...
'', The Wailers' debut album. They have released six albums: ''
Revival'' (2003), which featured the highest-selling New Zealand single of 2002 "Giddy Up", ''
Slow Burning
Katchafire are an all Māori New Zealand roots reggae band from Hamilton, New Zealand.
History
Katchafire formed in Hamilton in 1997, originally as a Bob Marley tribute band.Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2013)Katchafire keeping NZ reggae scene ...
'' (2005) ''
Say What You're Thinking'' (2007), ''
On the Road Again'' (2010), which peaked at No.3 on the US Billboard Reggae chart,
NEWS: New Katchafire Album Coming October 2010 - Rip It Up Magazine
retrieved 15-09-2010 and the compilation ''Best So Far'' (2013) ''Legacy
Legacy or Legacies may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Comics
* " Batman: Legacy", a 1996 Batman storyline
* '' DC Universe: Legacies'', a comic book series from DC Comics
* ''Legacy'', a 1999 quarterly series from Antarctic Press
* ''Legacy ...
'' (2018).Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, the United States, New Caledonia, the Pacific Islands, Guam, Indonesia, Brazil including their home country of New Zealand and have played on the same bills as The Wailers, The Marley's, Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse are a roots reggae band from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and were composed of David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ro ...
, Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or the Warsaw Pact. The United States, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Southern Cone, NATO, Western European countries and oth ...
, UB40
UB40 are an English reggae band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy ...
, Shaggy, Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...
, Fiji, and Horace Andy
Horace Andy (born Horace Keith Hinds, 19 February 1951) is a Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as " Skylarking", as well as "Government Land", "Angel", "Spying Glass", and "Five Ma ...
to name a few.
Band members
The bands original line-up consisted of Founder Grenville Bell (Manager, Lead Guitar) with his two sons Logan (Vocals) Jordan (Drums), the line-up expanded to include eight members, including Jerry Taukamo (Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar), Thompson Hohepa (Lead Vocals), Hani Totorewa (Keyboards, Vocals), Bass duties went to a number of different musicians, Jhonny Fish (John Kennedy), Shocka ( Shane Maraki), Tere Ngarua and Travis Te Hau.
As a result of commitments with other bands, family and religion, lead singer Jerry departed from the band Katchafire with Logan stepping into the position becoming the band's new and current lead singer.
With the addition of James "Jamey" Ferguson (Vocals, Keyboard, Saxophone) and departure of Tere Ngarua opened opportunity for Ara Adams Tamatea (Bass, Band Management) and Leonard "Leon" Davey (Percussion, Vocals) not long after which allowed Grenville Bell to step out of the Management duties and continue his role as the bands Lead Guitarist and the brand "Katchafire" was realised .
The band went through yet another change in line-up as Ara stepped down from his role as manager/bass player continuing only as the bands New Zealand booking agent, with original bass player Tere Ngarua returning and Logan taking over the band management.
The current line-up:
*Logan Bell (Guitar, Vocals) 1997 - present
*Jordan Bell (Drums, Vocals) 1997 - present
*Leonard "Leon" Davey (Percussion, Vocals). 2000 - present
*Tere Ngarua (Bass) 1997 / 2007 - present
*Roy Kaiki (Keyboards, Vocals) 2016 - present
*Wiremu Barriball (Lead Guitar, Vocals) 2016 - present
Former Band Members:
*Grenville Bell, (Lead Guitar) 1997 - 2014
*Haani Totorewa (Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals) 1997 - 2013
*James "Jamey" Ferguson (Keyboards, Saxophone, Vocals) 2000 - 2013
*Ara Adams Tamatea (Bass) 2000 - 2006
*Jerry Taukamo (Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar)
*John "Jhonny fish" Kennedy (Bass)
*Shane "Shocka" Maraki (Bass)
*Travis Te Hau (Bass)
Discography
Albums
Featured appearances
Katchafire have appeared on a number of compilations since 2002 in New Zealand. The following is a list of these albums that have featured tracks by Katchafire.
Singles
Notes
References
External links
*
Official Facebook Page
{{Authority control
Musical groups established in 1997
New Zealand reggae musical groups
Culture in Hamilton, New Zealand
Pacific reggae
Māori-language singers