Monkey Business is a Czech

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

band formed in 1999 in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. It is one of the musical projects of multi-instrumentalist and producer Roman Holý, the others being J.A.R. and Sexy Dancers. The band also includes vocalist Matěj Ruppert, guitarist Oldřich Krejčoves, bassist Pavel Mrázek, drummer Martin Houdek, keyboardist Ondřej Brousek, and vocalist Tereza Černochová. As of , they have released eleven studio albums.

History

Monkey Business formed in

, Czechia, in 1999. The band initially consisted of vocalist Matěj Ruppert, guitarist Oldřich Krejčoves, bassist Pavel Mrázek, drummer Martin Houdek, and keyboardist Ondřej Brousek. Their debut album, ''Why Be in When You Could Be Out'', was released in 2000 and included contributions from Iranian-Czech percussionist Imran Musa Zangi and American trombonist

Fred Wesley Fred Wesley (born July 4, 1943) is an American trombonist who worked with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s, and Parliament-Funkadelic in the second half of the 1970s. Biography Wesley was born the son of a high school teacher and big band le ...

. The group subsequently added a second vocalist, the American-Czech Tonya Graves, who had previously sung in the band Liquid Harmony. Monkey Business released their second album, ''Save the Robots'', in 2001, and it once again featured contributions from Fred Wesley as well as drummer

Dennis Chambers Dennis Milton Chambers (born May 9, 1959) is an American jazz fusion and funk drummer. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2001. Early life Chambers was born on May 9, 1959, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. He began drumming ...

, guitarist

Hiram Bullock Hiram Law Bullock (September 11, 1955 – July 25, 2008) was an American guitarist known mainly for playing in jazz funk and jazz fusion, but he also worked as a session musician in a variety of genres. Biography Bullock was born in Osaka, Ja ...

, and singer

Dan Bárta Dan Bárta (born 14 December 1969 in Karlovy Vary) is a Czech rock singer. He's a founding member of Alice in 1990 (this band disbanded in 1997). Later he was a member of the short-lived band Sexy Dancers. He also released many solo albums and alb ...

. The band's third record, ''Resistance Is Futile'', came out in 2003 and included work by

Iva Bittová Iva Bittová (born 22 July 1958) is a Czech avant-garde violinist, singer, and composer. She began her career as an actor in the mid-1970s, appearing in several Czech feature films, but switched to playing violin and singing in the early 1980s ...

Jiří Stivín Jiří Stivín (born 23 November 1942 in Prague) is a Czech flute player and composer. Biography He graduated from the Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). He also studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music a ...

, Roman Dragoun, and Hiram Bullock. In 2005, Monkey Business published their fourth album, titled ''Kiss Me on My Ego''. It featured contributions from Imran Musa Zangi, Dan Bárta, Hiram Bullock, Glenn Hughes, and

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (July 30, 1945 – May 12, 2024) was an American alto saxophonist. He worked in many musical genres; his solo recordings typically blended jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He began playing the saxophone at the age o ...

. The album ''Objects of Desire and Other Complications'' followed in 2007, with input from guest musicians such as Imran Musa Zangi and

Kamil Střihavka Kamil Střihavka (born 20 January 1965) is a Czech rock singer and musical actor. In 1986, he became a member of the power metal group Motorband. In 1992, he formed BSP (band), BSP with Ota Balage and Michal Pavlíček. He has also released seve ...

. Monkey Business released ''Twilight of Jesters?'' in 2009, a record that again featured Glenn Hughes and Dan Bárta, as well as

Vlastimil Třešňák Vlastimil Třešňák (born 26 April 1950 in Prague) is a Czech singer-songwriter and writer. In 1970s, he was member of association Šafrán. He signed Charter 77 and after he was banned for public activities throughout Czechoslovakia. In 1982, ...

and

Ashley Slater Ashley Slater (born 1961) is a Canadian-born British trombone player and best known for his narration on the television series '' Boo!'' as well as his work with Norman Cook (a.k.a. Fatboy Slim) in the band Freak Power. Career In 1983 after le ...

. ''Happiness of Postmodern Age'' followed in 2013, with contributions from Dan Bárta,

Ivan Mládek Ivan Mládek (born 7 February 1942) is a Czech recording artist, composer, and comedian who gained success in the mid-1970s. Born in Prague, He started his career in the mid-1950s, and moved to Paris in 1968, before returning to his homeland in ...

, and

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

. The band's eighth studio album, titled ''Sex and Sport? Never!'', came out in 2015 and featured

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, re ...

Gábor Presser Gábor Presser (born 27 May 1948) is a Kossuth Prize winning Hungarian musician, composer, singer. He was a band member in Locomotiv GT and Omega, and has been a prominent personality in Hungarian pop and rock music. Biography Childhood Bor ...

, and

Marta Kubišová Marta Kubišová (born 1 November 1942) is a Czech singer. By the time of the Prague Spring of 1968, with her song "Modlitba pro Martu" ("A prayer for Marta"), she was one of the most popular female singers in Czechoslovakia. In 1967 she won Zla ...

. Tonya Graves left Monkey Business in 2016, and she was replaced on vocals by Tereza Černochová before the 2018 release of ''Bad Time for Gentlemen''. The record, the band's ninth, included input from Fred Wesley and Ashley Slater. The band followed it in 2020 with ''Freedom on Sale'', with help from

Dan McCafferty William Daniel McCafferty (14 October 1946 – 8 November 2022) was a Scottish vocalist and songwriter best known as the lead singer for the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth from its founding in 1968 to his retirement from touring with the band i ...

and Ashley Slater. The latest album by Monkey Business is ''Když Múzy Mlčí'', issued in 2024.

Band members

Current * Matěj Ruppert – vocals (1999–present) * Tereza Černochová – vocals (2018–present) * Oldřich Krejčoves – guitar (1999–present) * Ondřej Brousek – keyboards (1999–present) * Roman Holý – keyboards, vocals (1999–present) * Pavel Mrázek – bass guitar (1999–present) * Martin Houdek – drums (1999–present) Past * Tonya Graves – vocals (2000–2016)

Discography

Studio albums * ''Why Be in When You Could Be Out'' (2000) * ''Save the Robots'' (2001) * ''Resistance Is Futile'' (2003) * ''Kiss Me on My Ego'' (2005) * ''Objects of Desire and Other Complications'' (2007) * ''Twilight of Jesters?'' (2009) * ''Happiness of Postmodern Age'' (2013) * ''Sex and Sport? Never!'' (2015) * ''Bad Time for Gentlemen'' (2018) * ''Freedom on Sale'' (2020) * ''Když Múzy Mlčí'' (2024) EPs * ''Nevydané tracky'' (2003) Remix albums * ''Why Be Out When You Could Be In'' (2001) * ''Kavárna de Luxe'' (2017) DVDs * ''Lazy Youth Old Beggars'' (2004) * ''Peeing with the Proletariat'' (2007)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Monkey Business Czech funk musical groups Czech pop music groups Musical groups from Prague 1999 establishments in the Czech Republic Musical groups established in 1999