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 Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the honoring of God, called Jah ...
band from
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton ( mi, Kirikiriroa) 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 region. With a territorial population of , it is the country's ...
.
History
Katchafire formed in Hamilton in 1997, originally as a
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
tribute band.
[Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2013)]
Katchafire keeping NZ reggae scene ablaze
, '' Jamaica Observer'', 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'' (2005) ''
Say What You're Thinking'' (2007), ''
On the Road Again'' (2010),
NEWS: New Katchafire Album Coming October 2010 - Rip It Up Magazine
retrieved 15-09-2010 and the compilation ''Best So Far'' (2013) '' Legacy'' (2018).Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, 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, Japan, South Korea, Western European nations and their allies represented the " First ...
, UB40
UB40 are an English reggae and pop 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 ...
, Shaggy, Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...
, Fiji, and Horace Andy 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 realized.
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 2000
New Zealand reggae musical groups
Culture in Hamilton, New Zealand
Pacific reggae
Māori-language singers