ULTRA MAGNUS, TORONTO AFROBEAT COLLECTIVE

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ULTRA MAGNUS, will be playing Pepper Jack's this Saturday, September 10th.

www.ultramagnus.net

The Band

Chad Paulson-leader, guitar, vocals

Andrew Scott- bass, vocals

Brad Vanderzanden-guitar

Dean Whales-drums

Daniel Schlagbaum-congas percussion

Micheal Borges- percussion

Alex Thomson- trumpet

Steve Ruttan-trombone

Jason Stillman-alto saxophone

Jay Hay- tenor saxophone

Biography

Ultra Magnus is a 10 member afrobeat band that relives the glory days of African afrobeat with their own breed of infectious grooves, blazing horns, furious performance and social concsiousness.

Ultra Magnus began more as a school project more so than a musical venture. In the late nights of winter 2002, roommates Chad Paulson and Andrew Scott spent their evenings trying to unravel the polyrhythmic layers of "FEVER", a song written by afrobeat songwriter Jingo. Chad and Andrew came to the realization that they wanted to form together a group of musicians who, like them, would be interested in learning how to play afrobeat. The group was nammed after a nickname Chad got in elementary school, on account of his first name being Magnus.

The members of Ultra Magnus spent over a year learning the properties of afrobeat, studying not only the music, but it's history and the people and artists that made it popular in Africa throughout the 1970's and 80's. The band compiled together a large repertoire of afrobeat standards before they attempted at writing any of their own originals, believing that it would be ignorant to think they could write a similar style simply by imitating what they heard. By summer 2003, they began performing regularily in and around Toronto.

Ultra Magnus model their music after afrobeat originator, Fela Kuti. Like Kuti, Ultra Magnus uses "music as weapon"; creating music that carries a message of social awareness through highly danceble music.

Ultra Magnus is a celebration, and all are invited.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Guest