The Carnival Band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Carnival Band | |
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| Origin | East Vancouver |
| Years active | 1997–present |
The Carnival Band is a marching band and community orchestra based in the Commercial Drive area of East Vancouver, Canada.
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[edit] History
The band was formed in 1997 by Dan Vie. With a floating membership of around 30 individuals playing sax, brass, percussion, and stringed instruments, it appeared both as a mobile unit for parades, and as an amplified band with bass, fiddle, guitar, and banjo.
In 1999 Marcos X became musical director and tenor saxophonist Ross Barrett joined the group; their arrival helped the band become more professional, as opposed to being a simple community orchestra.
[edit] Performances
Regularly appearing at numerous peace marches, Critical Mass rides, Vancouver's Chinese New Year parade, Illuminares, and Parade of the Lost Souls, the Carnival Band has also performed at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the Gibsons Jazz Festival, Altonale in Hamburg, Germany, the Blaydon Races and the International Street Band Festival hosted by the Tenth Avenue Band in Newcastle, with the Baybeat Streetband in Morecambe, the Vancouver Sun Run, the Vancouver Children's Festival, and many other festivals, weddings, funerals, community related events, clubs, and parties in and around British Columbia.
In October 2006, the Carnival Band traveled to Honk! Fest, in Somerville, Massachusetts, performing with groups such as the Hungry March Band and the Rude Mechanical Orchestra.
[edit] Music
Songs performed by the group include originals by members, as well as traditionals from Colombia, France, Suriname, Afghanistan, and Bulgaria, and covers by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Ennio Morricone, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Jefferson Airplane, Luiz Bonfa, Miles Davis, and Mongo Santamaria.
[edit] Press
Coverage of the Carnival Band has appeared in the Vancouver Sun (cover of the June 26 edition's B Section), the Province, (picture and listing for fundraiser) the Georgia Straight, the Vancouver Courier, various small publicaions in and around the Lower Mainland, and the Boston Phoenix (appearing at Harvard Square Oktoberfest).
The February 2006 issue of Spin Magazine featured a several page article by Caryn Ganz on the Extra Action Marching Band, noting "...now there are several artsy-oriented cities with envelope-pushing groups like them. In addition to New York's Hungry March Band, there are Portland, Oregon's March Forth [sic] Marching Band, Seattle's Infernal Noise Brigade, and the Carnival Band in Vancouver, all viewed by Extra Action as kindred spirits."
[edit] Future
Their second album is currently in production, and is expected to be released in early 2007. More tours are being planned, including a return to Europe.
