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Interview with New York's Ska/Reggae Legend - KING DJANGO!
| Message Board > Music Chitchat - Heavy > Interview with New York's Ska/Reggae Legend - KING DJANGO! |
| VICTORIA BC SKA SOCIETY User Info... |  As you may or may not know, King Django was in the Stubborn All-Stars that had members of the Slackers and Skinnerbox among other great NY ska bands in it. I realized that Django had moved on from the Stubborn All-Stars around the year 2000 just before Victoria's 1st Ska Festival. He disliked people associating him with it over and over again and went for doing his own thing. For awhile he was in more of a punk arrangement that he called King Django (this was featured at the first Victoria Ska Festival at Market Square with Pressure Cooker). It comprised some of the members from The Scofflaws, and Stubborn All-Stars. Collectively many of members of these NY ska/reggae bands also referred to themselves as "NY SKA MOB." But the last time he was here in Victoria this past summer he was toasting/singing with Dr. Ring Ding (dancehall/DJ from Germany) and backed by Eastern Standard Time from Washington DC (one of the greatest and most underated ska/jazz/reggae ensembles in the US). Now he will be appearing with JFK & the Conspirators (long-time ska/reggae band from Winnipeg on Thursday, November 4th @ Lucky Bar). Check out the interview... Q & A With King Django Questions By Dan Dan: How did you get into SKA? King Django: well I first heard the specials really King Django: I went to this record store with my friend in 1979 King Django:he showed me a copy of The Prince by Madness but I hadn't heard it yet King Django: a little later on I heard the Specials Dan: ahh ok. Do u remember what song that got u hooked? King Django: Hmm I kind of just remember thinking that it was unlike anything I had ever heard before, and I was amazed at the trombone playing of Rico Rodriquez. I wasn't a musician at the time, and it was just so wildly different than what I was used to... Dan: ahh I see King Django: So from that, I started buying all the 2-Tone and English ska King Django: and I read the liner notes and read about Prince Buster and all these old guys Dan: So what city were you in when all this happened King Django: New York City King Django: I was going to school in uptown Manhattan at the time Dan: Ahh ok.. So at that time, how was the scene lookin? Still in its infant stages or what? King Django: I didn't know anything about any scene at that point and I didn't know about any ska music going on in NYC except when these English bands were playing Dan: I see. So what instruments did u begin to pick up? King Django: well King Django: it wasn't for a little while after that that I picked up the trombone Dan: Riight riight King Django: I started trying to chat around 82 or 83 King Django: let's say 83 for argument's sake Dan: Ok, fair enuff King Django: then around the last day of 12th grade, I borrowed a trombone from the music teacher for the summer King Django: it was a fucked up shitty trombone and I couldn't figure out anything hahaha Dan: hahaha Dan: did u learn on your own or took lessons? King Django: it never occurred to me to join the band in school or anything either King Django: I learned on my own Dan: Ahh very nice King Django: much later on I had a couple of lessons each with two guys, but not much to really speak of Dan: ahh, so was it enuff to build on, or not even that? King Django: what the lessons? Dan: yes King Django: oh well the lessons were after I'd already been playing wrong for a few years hahehe Dan: hahah Dan: well at least u got some good out of it King Django: some I guess King Django: the first teacher, I couldn't jibe with King Django: the second one was like, listen, do exercises, smoke some pot, drink some tea and play Dan: hahha, I take it u liked the 2nd one? King Django: he was cool-- he basically broke it down to me like this, he said, look, nobody can teach you how to play, I can show you all these books and exercises and shit but if you want to play-- you just have to play... Dan: riight riight Dan: So how did Skinnerbox/Stubborn All Stars form? King Django: that was MUCH later Dan: Do u want to add anything before hand.. like when u did The Boilers and collaborations with the Slackers and Skadanks? King Django: Skinnerbox started at the very end of 1988, when my other band, the Boilers was on the verge of breaking up. King Django: The Slackers came way after Skinnerbox King Django: in fact, Skinnerbox was the first ska show that Vic Ruggiero ever saw Dan: What are origins behind the names? King Django: The Boilers was a band before I got there. King Django: When I got in the Boilers it had basically split up. Dan: Ahhhh, i see King Django: I joined it when there was 2 guitarists, a bassist and a sax player. Dan: did u feel like you were "part" of the group.. or just somebody to fill in? King Django: well the band wasn't really together at the time, they had cut a demo previously of mostly cover tunes King Django: then broke up Dan: ahh I see King Django: I used to hang out with some of the guys in the street in the Lower East Side... Dan: Cool cool King Django: so they said, hey man, we heard you play trombone.. King Django: I said, well I have one but I can't figure that shit out! Dan: hahahaah King Django: so they said come to auditions, we are trying to find a drummer and a singer and shit like that Dan: riight riight King Django: so I went to the auditions King Django: and umm mind you I was fuckin' around with some stuff before that, I tried singing in a band in 11th and 12th grade I guess King Django: and then my first year in college I was trying to get something together King Django: anyways so King Django: I was going to these auditions with a trombone position chart and trying to memorize the positions of the notes and stuff and basically learning the trombone during the auditions King Django: we were having no luck finding a drummer or singer or anything Dan: riight riight King Django: the original singer said he would come back if we axed one of the guitars... Dan: ahhh Dan: did that happen King Django: yeah we did it King Django: so he came back Dan: cool cool King Django: and umm then I found us a drummer and keyboard player King Django: and the keys man, he brought in a trumpet King Django: that keyboard player is still around... Dan: nice nice King Django: his name is Victor Axelrod, he does some reggae stuff and stuff like that. Dan: hell yeah.. do u still work with him? King Django: So that band did a lot of shit back in the day and we were pretty popular in NYC. King Django: Nah I don't really work with him anymore. King Django: We talk once in a while. Dan: dats cool King Django: then when that band was about to break up I said fuck it, and started Skinnerbox King Django: that's the very end of '88 King Django: We played our first show on April Fools' day 1989 King Django: Skadanks were on that bill too. Dan: What venue? King Django: I think it was one of their first shows, possibly their first as well... Dan: cool cool King Django: I can't remember if I played horn with them yet, I think so though King Django: it was at this place on Houston Street, downtown Manhattan, called Downtown Beirut II King Django: I remember I fell off the stage 3 times that night hahahah King Django: That established a pattern Dan: hahahah, damn.. poor structure or just being drunk? King Django: ummm neither really King Django: the first thing was, it was only about 6-8 inches high King Django: :-) King Django: and it was very small and there were 6 or 7 of us Dan: hahah, damn no wonder why u were fallin off King Django: yes :-) Dan: What are your thoughts about the SKA scene in the U.S today? King Django: I haven't any King Django: :-) King Django: I mean, I have a number of friends in good young ska bands... King Django: as far as a "scene"-- I haven't really been sure what that means in a long time... Dan: Ok, fair enuff. Dan: What kind of message do you want to portray in your music King Django: Hmmm King Django: I got into reggae and ska because it had positive and uplifting messages. I never want to preach but music and lyrics have been really important to me in a lot of ways and times, different types of music and lyrics. I can only hope that perhaps someone will find something uplifting and strengthening in my work in some way. Dan: That's a very noble thing to say. I don't know about you, but a lot of music today seems to lose that essence King Django: Hmm I dunno if it's noble... It's almost just... habit or something... King Django: I mean, it was an intrinsic part of this music that inspired me to be a musician... so it's an integral part of my work because of that. King Django: I don't know how noble that is. Dan: True. Well different strokes for different folks I guess:-) Dan: What is the funniest/outragest thing you've seen while performing King Django: ummm lately, I'd have to say, kids' heads catching on fire... King Django: Hmmm... chicas going at it with each other-- dirty dancing as it were... Dan: hahahh, how bout that. King Django gets the women to booty shake King Django: Hmm well that night in Ybor at the New World Brewery, those skinhead kids were pretty funny... Dan: How so King Django: just acting all crazy and shit, but they were into it, almost got a little violent toward the end which is really not positive for anyone... Dan: ahh i see Dan: What are your thoughts on the underground VS mainstream/commercialism King Django: Ummm well, by necessity, the underground stuff is always going to be more interesting... Mainstream stuff has to be watered down and lowest-common-denominator type of stuff, because it's goal is to appeal to the masses... Dan: Do you feel that the underground retains more of the roots and ethics of the music? Do u feel mainstream/ commercialism exploits music? King Django: I'm not going to really get into a discussion about the ethics of music... business is business, big business is all about a bottom line... I think that it's kind of silly to focus on that of all things, when there's so much more serious shit going on. King Django: Certainly artists are exploited by record companies on the major-label level and even when you are dealing with large indies. Dan: I see King Django: you know... Dan: I see yer perspective of it bro Dan: 8-) King Django: there are people who are into it to be pop stars, and there are people who are just very serious musicians... Dan: Absolutely, with out a doubt King Django: and then there's all levels of grey in between those two positions... Dan: Right right King Django: And I guess on the independent level, there's the same type of spectrum with record labels King Django: but I guess you do find more on the DIY/indie level that it's coming more from a love of the music and the lifestyle, and that the guys at the labels really have a passion for the music. They're not just thinking about the bottom line. King Django: Unfortunately, that does translate to bad business :-) Dan: lol, yeah Dan: What is your take behind the whole DJ/MC battle between yourself, Dr. Ring Ding, and Alex Desert? What are your thoughts about words being said between you and Coolie Ranx King Django: Look this is the thing King Django: Alex doesn't even belong in that paragraph really. King Django: These other guys, Ring Ding and Coolie, these are actually DJs King Django: whereas Mr. Lickso never has been and is not Dan: Ahhh i see King Django: This is the thing, I made Open Season in 1994 King Django: When did that answer tune come out?? Dan: Ummmm, like 97/98? King Django: at least King Django: let's find out King Django: jan 20 1998 King Django: OK so King Django: four years pass and then they come with this half-assed nursery rhyming bullshit taking potshots at me... King Django: If you listen, this is a challenge. Dan: Oh ive listen/am listening King Django: I picked up the record, listened to it, and literally the next day, cut Hepcat Season with Skinnerbox and had it at the pressing plant the morning after King Django: that's how you do it, not wait for four years and then come with some mary had a little microphone shit Dan: Your right man King Django: So the upshot of the story is, by the time Hepcat arrived in NYC with that tour supporting that record, I had two boxes of Hepcat Season singles to give away at that show and a signed test pressing for Alex... King Django: to make a long story short... I challenged him to battle me on the mic, freestyle, I had prepared nothing, I was gonna go it cold with him, and he straight up backed down. Dan: ahhhhhh King Django: He said, and I quote, "I can't. I don't know how to do that." King Django: And that's why he should never have cut that song, 'cause it was false. Dan: I see now King Django: That's the abridged truth. I just took out the details-- the hilarity and the mayhem. Dan: Riiight riiight King Django: Now Coolie Ranx is another story. Coolie is a very talented DJ. He just has some social issues. He is a very condescending character. I have tried to be friendly with him for a long time, but he talks down to everyone. You'll hear this from other people, not just me. Dan: I never knew that Dan: interesting King Django: He's just in permanent clash mode. He needs to be worshipped or something, I dunno what it is. It's a shame, because he has a really great voice and he's a decent MC. His lyrics are corny as shit, though, I do gotta say, and for me, his stage schtick just goes way too far, it's way phony. I'm not really into that shit, like bullying the crowd into dancing or taking three minutes to set up a stage dive-- that's corny. You don't set up a stage dive, you just do it out of nowhere... Dan: lol, i gotcha Dan: What should the fans expect next from Django and Skinnerbox/Stubborn Allstars? King Django: Right now, I have been recording a lot of cool bands, I just finished the Westbound Train album the other day... Dan: Cool cool Dan: any tours? King Django: There's gonna be a lot of stuff coming out of Version City soon, all on different labels... King Django: For tours, you can look at http://www.kingdjango.com King Django: we are going to Europe soon and a short midwestern stab King Django: I also just started rehearsing the Roots & Culture band King Django: to play material off my Roots & Culture album and new stuff, all in the yiddish-reggae style Dan: interesting Dan: cool, ill check it when it comes out Dan:Any last words? King Django: Hmmm King Django: Come on people, you don't have to be mean. Because remember, no matter where you go, there you are. Dan: Nice. Django. I appreciate yer time. I know ive been hounding you for the past couple of weeks, but i'm glad we got the opportunity to do this. King Django: no schwett - Sun, 17 Oct 2004 11:33pm | ||
| MP User Info... | Dude, just put a link to the article instead of pasting the whole damn thing here! - Mon, 18 Oct 2004 3:01am | ||
| VICTORIA BC SKA SOCIETY User Info... | Two weeks away! - Thursday, November 4th @ Lucky Bar Tickets @ Lyle's, Ditch Records, A&B Sound & Lucky Bar - Thu, 21 Oct 2004 1:29pm | ||
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