The Debonaires

The Debonaires originated from the Southern California traditional ska revival subculture that developed and thrived throughout the Los Angeles and Inland Empire regions in the 1990’s. Their unique rendition of Jamaican ska is not only reminiscent of legendary performers such as The Skatalites, but also embodies a soulful element heavily influenced by early American R&B and soul. The group’s dynamic 15 year history began in Riverside, California in 1995. During this era the Debonaires earned a reputation as a popular performer within the LA and Riverside Ska scenes. They quickly gained recognition for diverging from the mainstream ska sound of the times, only to incorporate the original Rocksteady and jazz-driven style played in Jamaican dancehalls during the 1960’s. The Debonaires released their first album, Groovin’ After Sundown, in 1998. To date, they have released two additional albums, Debonaires (2001) and Longshout (2005), and have been featured on numerous compilations throughout the US and Europe. In the early to mid 2000’s, the band completed multiple national tours and had the great privilege of opening for several highly celebrated ska artists including The Skatalites, Desmond Dekker, Laurel Aitken, Phyllis Dillon, Justin Hindes, Rico Rodriguez, The Specials and Hepcat. Although constantly paying homage to the creators of reggae music, The Debonaires have captivated an emerging generation of ska and reggae enthusiasts, often sharing the stage with modern ska, punk, funk and rock bands like Fishbone, The Slackers, Voodoo Glow Skulls and The Aggrolites. What has emerged from their talents and enduring dedication to their craft has been the band’s ability to bridge traditional genre with the modern sounds and rhythms of today’s generation of ska/jazz/blues music followers. The Debonaires are currently recording their 4th album, titled "Movin'" featuring guests Angelo Moore from Fishbone and Chris Murray. Slated to release in the Fall of 2011, this is a highly anticipated album for the Ska world, and one not to be missed! Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.