Ska, Reggae, Rocksteady have no secrets for The Orobians. Ten musicians, ten dreamers, who, since 1997, bring a bit of Jamaica all around Europe…and even further.
Praised as “the second best Ska band in Italy”, the Orobians, since 2001, has become a non-profit cultural association to spread Jamaican music. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The band was founded in Bergamo at the beginning of 1997.
It’s composed of nine members: five brass instruments, piano, guitar, contrabass and drums, and often a singer.
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The sound is that of Jamaican orchestras of the sixties (Ska).
Their formula is to cover movie themes but also pieces from different traditions arranged in a Jamaican style.
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Claimed by specialised audience as the second best Ska band in Italy, they have grown up in few years.
The band collaborates with theatrical companies, and opens up famous artist’s gigs such as Trojans, Manu Chao or the legendary Skatalites.
The participation to Extrafestival 2000 as Tonino Carotone’s band and to the concert of the New Year’s Day, live on Radio Popolare, still remain unforgettable.
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Since September 2001 The Orobians has become a non-profit cultural association, to spread music culture, especially Jamaican tunes.
In November 2000 they released their first album, direct recorded and published by the label Gridalo Forte (Rome).
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The next December, they reached the number one in the Popolare Network chart, the most important independent radio network in Italy.
Then their compositions “Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto” and “Guaglione”, were used by the tv program “Caterpillar”-broadcasted by Rai 2- as signature tunes.
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Since 2003 “Christeen Keeler” was used as signature tunes for “Verba Volant” (Rai 3), and they produced their second album “Jamaica - Italia Connection”, excellently received by press and audience.
Now the band has a stable singer.
The Orobians regularly performs in Germany and France and take part at some festival in Eastern Europe countries.
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In autumn 2005 there’s been an important innovation for the band:
the introduction of an electric bass instead of the doublebass.
Now, together with the traditional Jamaican tunes, like Ska, they experiment different sounds like Rocksteady, Reggae or lovers rock.
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The new album, temporary titled "Come and party with The Orobians' Anniversary Album", will be released in spring 2008 on Mad Butcher Records label.