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Twenty-First Century Reggae in Tamarindo

11 July, 2011 12:09:00 Jim Parisi

Photo By Bernard Agosta

He was born with the name Mariano Javier Castro in Lanus Oeste, Argentina but in 2005, after several years as the lead singer and songwriter for the band Kosheen, he became known as Dread Mar – I. That same year, he released his self-produced debut album, “Jah Guia” on his own TAMS Records label, which he has used for every album throughout his career, a smart move that allows him the freedom to release the songs he chooses. He got a big break in 2006 when a local band cancelled at the last minute for the first annual “Bob Marley Festival” and he and his band filled in, playing the same day as both Peter Tosh and The Wailers, gaining him international exposure in a single live set. In December of that same year, he released his second CD, “Hermanos” with his band Guerreros Del Rey, an ensemble that included Fabian (Pigu) Loreno on bass guitar, Alejandro Ramos on lead guitar, Lugas Calamusi on trumpet, Adrian Romero all over the keyboards, Martin Gariglio on slide trombone and Walter covering all the percussion. The popularity of “Brothers” expanded the listening audience, moving Dread Mar into a more international scene that included Chile, Uruguay and Colombia. In the first eight months in 2008, the band performed more than sixty live shows. They went into the studio and produced “Love – Is” and promoted the album with live shows for the entire next year. In 2010, the band released “Vivi en C” and this year they put out their fourth album, “Tranquilo”. To celebrate the release of the new disc, the band held a free concert at Luna Park in Buenos Aires and handed out free promo copies of the CD. Along the way, their audience has increased incrementally. They rolled into Tamarindo last month to play on the ninth at Bar Pacifico. They got the chance to play here because they are friends with fellow musicians in the Argentinean reggae band Nom Palidece, who played at Pacifico earlier and acted as middle men introducing the night club owners and Guerreros Del Rey to each other. The band has a strong keyboard backbone and that reggae recognizable backbeat that makes the music both danceable and trancey. The set was heavily dosed with their newer songs, including “Mas Alla de Tus Ojos” and “Tu Sin Mi”, but the band included older songs like “Mi Amor” and “Salvame” from the “Love Is” album and “Time Getting Hard” from Jah Guia. Two days after the local show, the band returned to Argentina for eighteen shows in twenty-five days, then will tour through Mexico, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia. Dread Mar – I has found a niche with his music and has been smart enough to keep his talented band together, something even Marley was unable to do. During his stay in Tamarindo, he told me, “Life is golden”, that we need to appreciate the gifts of our lives. He obviously enjoys spreading the word of the band, playing an abundance of live shows and appreciating this golden life