Artist description Guerrillafinga is a skankin’, roots reggae style musical group hailing from Stamford, CT. The band consists of the smooth, irie vocal stylings of Tomas King, the jump-up, skankin’ grooves of Morten Ostensen on guitar, the rump shakin’ bass of jwuanty himself, and the steady riddims of Joseph Pierson on drums. The idea of Guerrillafinga is to create groovin’ roots reggae music that is both socially conscious and lighthearted, all the while expressing views on the current world situation. The concept of Guerrillafinga was culled in Kathmandu, Nepal, while Mort and Tomas were living and studying there. Upon returning to the states, they have teamed up with the Joe Pierson/Emil Halas rhythm section, to further refine their vision, and establish an exceptional live performing group. Reggae music as a genre is under represented in music today. Guerrillafinga Aims to fill a void that many do not even realize is there. Influenced by reggae greats and relative unknowns, Guerrillafinga's material is both classical and cutting edge. It is a reflection of a collective experience in life and music. Guerrillafinga has developed a solid fan base over the past year, as their music can be heard on MP3.com, where they have had over 40,000 total plays to date. Currently available on the Guerrillafinga website (www.mp3.com/guerrillafinga) Is the album "Crucial", containing such gems as “Ganja Ganja”, “Blindman” and “Toughguy”. Since the formation of the quartet in the summer of 2001, Guerrillafinga has performed at many venues, including Tobacco Road in New York City, Hat City Ale House in Danbury, CT., Jimmy’s Seaside in Stamford, CT., The Lounge @ CBGB’s in New York City, and The Five Spot in Brooklyn, NY. Guerrillafinga has also done live radio performances at WPKN in Bridgeport, CT. and WXCI in Danbury CT. And this is just the beginning; 2002 should be a big year for Guerrillafinga and their ever spreading fan base. For bookings and further information, please contact Guerrillafinga at tomasking74@hotmail.com. Nine tracks, show info, etc available at www.mp3.com/guerrillafinga

Music Style newstylee ganja guerrilla ragga dub

Musical Influences Marley, tosh, sublime, augustus pablo, buju banton, sizzla, manu chao, desmond decker, Lee

Group Members morten ostensen (guitar)tomas king (vocals) Joe Pierson, (drums) John Chapman(bass), Neal Spitzer (horns, winds, percussion, Pete Gaulin (horns), Ed Murphy (percussion)

Instruments guitar, bass, drums, Horns, Melodica, Flute, hand drums

Albums Crucial

Press Reviews Roots-reggae group Guerrillafinga (gorilla finger refers to a big joint, twisted here for freedom-fighter implications) has to battle for recognition on multiple levels. One, there are relatively few area reggae bands, with the exception of Mystic Bowie and the Pallbearers, and two, these guys are white. While the group sings primarily original numbers that are bouncy and fresh, with slow dub beats and horns courtesy of Neil Spitzer, people still have a mental block when it comes to white reggae artists. "They won't come out and see us," says lead singer Tomas King of traditional reggae audiences. "We won't front like we're rastas; I'm not a religious person, and that's a super-righteous religion." The last reggae festival they performed at was the Woodbury Ski and Racket Groove and Reggae Festival, a shambles of an event with about 50 in attendance, and Guerrillafinga was the only actual reggae group on the bill. "The rasta group isn't our crowd," says guitarist Morton Ostenson. "The guys that do it for real don't need us to tell them." But the band says that spreading Rastafarianism is hardly a mission. Guerrillafinga is simply a solid band that creates warm, danceable vibes that can even win over a crowd like the upscale diners at the Rivercat in Rowayton. King has a voice tailor-made for reggae, comfortable and smooth, and the band, with Joe Pierson on drums and newcomer John Chapman on bass, creates a sensual sound that lures in dancers of all ages. King and Ostenson have both spent time abroad, King in Ireland where he was born and Ostenson in India, Nepal and Asia. They've seen the effect of reggae worldwide, its universal appeal, and reggae is the music they connect with best because it transcends race. "It's an outlook," says King. "Tolerance. Doing less harm." Ostenson agrees. "We're pro-people," he says, "pro-humanity."Fairfield County weekly Guerrillafinga, based in Stamford, plays roots-style reggae. Tomas King’s exotic vocals bring the controversial stream-of-consciousness song “Touch of the Gift” to life. These guys manage to balance being socially conscious with being entertaining. News Times Reggae band plays Sundays at Plasma 2002-08-09 The sun is dimming over the umbrella-covered tables on Plasma’s patio as citronella candles are being lit. It’s an atmosphere made for listening to reggae. The 20 feet or so between the stage and tables imply the possibility of dancing but no one is, yet. It’s 7:30 on Sunday night at this downtown Danbury nightspot, and house reggae band Guerrillafinga commands the crowd. According to singer Tomas King, Guerrillafinga plays “roots” rock, a reggae style that promotes unity and collective consciousness, and was popularized by singers such as Bob Marley in the 1970s. On a recent Sunday about 40 people gathered on the patio to hear the band that sounds more than a little like Sublime. Guerrillafinga also lists Sizzla, Desmond Decker, Peter Tosh and Marley as influences. King and the rest of Guerrillafinga have played in bands as diverse as alternative rock and traditional Nepalese music, but King said they all eventually “came around to the inevitable basic universality of reggae music.” Old friends King and Mort Ostensen conceived the idea for the band on an extended trip to Katmandu, Nepal. While in the Himalayan country the two “did a good bit of playing in bars with Nepalese musicians.” Guerrillafinga is made up of Irish expatriate King, guitarist Ostensen, bassist Emil Halas and drummer Joe Pierson, ostensibly. However, the night I saw them, they were joined by Pete Gaulin on saxophone, Ed Murphy playing djembe (hand drum) and percussion, and Neal Spitzer on melodica and flute. They are often joined by these three, and others that sit in by invitation. Spitzer’s flute lends an Indian raga vibe to a few songs while Murphy’s djembe provides an authentic backdrop for King’s lyrics about the war on drugs and figuring out how to live your life. Lyrics such as “you owe it to the world to make something of your life” are typical of the bands positive, but not sugarcoated lyrics. Repeated references to “smoking ganja” evoked cheering from the crowd King has a strong voice and stinging delivery. His clever and thought-provoking lyrics reference all aspects of reggae and it’s history. “You can tell he’s a real reggae fan,” said Mike Roach, 30, of Danbury. These guys do very few covers, and the ones they choose are obscure. King finds that “a few reggae songs get overplayed while the great majority are relatively unknown.” They purposely try to avoid these cliched classics (no matter how much the crowd asks) in favor of lesser known material. A favorite cover of King’s is Eek-A-Mouse’s “Police In Helicopter” about the police searching out people growing marijuana and persecuting them. Their first album, “Crucial” features songs such as “Tough Guy,” “Blind Man,” and “Ganja Ganja.” Though one reviewer called them “surprisingly vulgar” (based on one sexually charged song called “Touch Of The Gift”), for the most part the lyrics have a positive message, even if they are delivered with King’s in-your-face attitude. The band tries to impart their ideals of “tolerance and understanding,” and aims to make music that is “both socially conscious and lighthearted, while expressing views on the current world situation.” Guerrillafinga has performed at NYC’s Tobacco Road, The Five Spot, and CBGB’s. In their hometown of Stamford, they make regular appearances at Green’s and Jimmy’s Seaside. If Sunday nights are inconvenient, they’ll be appearing at Danbury’s Hat City Ale House on Thursday, August 24. The band is laid-back during these Sunday night sets, stopping periodically to talk to the audience and yell out drink orders. The crowd is relaxed and receptive. In the audience, young hippies mingle with older couples that were probably hippies the first time around. Curious Ives Street passers-by, laden with doggie-bags, mix with local musicians who come out to support their own. A huge brown and white English Mastiff looks on, panting in the heat.News Times

Location Stamford, CT - USA

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