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REGGAE 42 guestlist.net / DANCE HALL Issue 55 / 2013 EW VI ER NT I Katchafire We have a chat with New Zealand group - who are among the most popular reggae bands at the moment - about their success and about the reggae scene in general Mr Wondah | guestlist.net Guestlist: Katchafire formed in 1997 originally – how's the journey been? Katchafire: Well, it's been amazing! You know, the boys never really set out - or had aspirations - to go this far, or to succeed the way we have today. But, we've just worked at it, and from strength to strength, it's grown. What an amazing thing - to be able to do what you love for a passion and make it a lifestyle, make a living from it. We're very grateful. G: So how did Katchafire form? Tell us the background story. K: Briefly? Around 13 years ago, my dad moved out of our home, told my mum he was going to start a reggae band, and he moved into an industrial area where we could make noise, and that was our headquarters studio. That was where the band sort of met and started practising and rehearsing, and we were actually a covers band early on. We saw there was a big hole in the market for reggae music at our home, in New Zealand. And it turned out that the rest of the world loves it, too! So that's how it about to do our first studio album on world wide release, through EP. G: Excellent. So you've been in the reggae industry for quite a while – do you feel that this industry has evolved? K: Yes – from Katchafire's inception, I think we were definitely involved in spurring on a reggae revival. G: With your time in reggae music, what's your idea about Snoop Lion, the new edition? K: (Laughs) Yeah, it's a little bit left field, I definitely was surprised! You know, Snoop's been able to kind of transcend genres - hip-hop - and I think anything he touches is going to do well. And even if it is a little "I think we were definitely involved in spurring on a reggae revival" kind of started, and about two to three years into playing covers in bars, we started writing our own music, and it was about early 2000 when we released our first album. Now we're four albums deep, and When we started in the early 2000s there wasn't a lot of Reggae bands around, and now there's over 100, just in New Zealand alone, and so it's an amazing movement, really, the scene in New Zealand – and worldwide. moment that he's going through – you know, it might be a passing phase – I think his name and brand will still be integral. G: You've played countless shows, and throughout the year you've got all these shows lined up – is it difficult being on tour so often? K: Yeah, it definitely has its ups and downs! The guys have been on the road now for over ten years, so we sort of know our limits and boundaries, and know when to push and pull – so we're used to living on the road. I have my dad and my brother in the band, you know, so we're family. G: Thanks a lot guys for joining me, it's been great - I want to say thank you so much K: Thanks for having us! G: I'm looking forward to the performance. Follow @ NyandaBnL