Like the seasons, fashion, and cicadas, music goes through cycles. Ska, originally a Jamaican style of music similar to reggae, has been a part of Ottawa’s music scene for many years. For a while it’s been experiencing a lull, but it’s recently regained some of its previous popularity.
Voice of the People is a monthly ska night at House of TARG which was founded almost a year ago by The Sentries, a local 8-piece ska band, and has become quite successful.
“We see good attendance at the Voice of the People shows,” says Lou Le Blanc, Sentries keyboardist.
Darren Drouin, the bassist, agrees. “The last three have sold out. People are digging the format, they’re really interested in it.”
Photo from the Voice of the People Facebook page.
A combination of local DJs, DJ Magnificent and DJ Longshot, and The Sentries as regular performers constitute the foundation of the event. Touring bands coming to Ottawa, as well as musicians from Montreal and Toronto, often attend. The next few shows are jam-packed.
“In May we have some friends of ours from Montreal, the Sweaty Palms,” says Le Blanc.
“And in June we have Skarate Kid, from Israel, they’re touring Canada and they got in touch. In July for the one-year anniversary we’re getting Sound One, a 12-piece ska band from Toronto. They have great vocal harmonies and a full horn section,” adds Drouin.
The Sentries are also involved in planning Ottawa Ska Fest, which is happening at House of TARG. The exact dates have not yet been announced, but it’s likely to be a two-day festival.
Even with so much going on, The Sentries managed to release an album earlier this year, “The Horseman” (available on Bandcamp). There’s some tentative plans for touring, and they plan to record another album this summer. While there’s no firm release date yet, they’re excited about the new material.
“We’ve been working with a new vocalist, Xander Galbreath. We’ve had a lot of lineup changes over the years, and we just keep moving forward.”
Part of that momentum includes working to build up the Ottawa ska scene with events, performances, and bringing new bands into the spotlight. The Sentries are enthusiastic about welcoming new talent to the stage and encouraging budding musicians.
“Voice of the People tries to support the local ska scene. If we hear of a new ska band, we’ll book them tomorrow,” says Drouin.
So if you’re in a local ska band, get in touch and see what dates have open slots. The Sentries would love to have you, and it’s a welcoming and enthusiastic crowd.
“We end up with people having a really good time and dancing until the end of the night,” says Le Blanc.
Drouin agrees. “That’s what Voice of the People is all about. We’ve got a really good core lineup from Ottawa, and we’d like to get more groups coming from out of town, or new local bands. I’m a diehard ska fanatic, I’m just trying to bring it back.”
If the popularity of Voice of the People is any indication, The Sentries are succeeding in bringing ska back in Ottawa.
The next three dates for Voice of the People at House of TARG,1077 Bank St., are May 28 (featuring Sweaty Palms), June 25 (featuring Skarate KID), and the one-year anniversary on July 29 (featuring Sound One).
The Sentries‘ latest album is available on Bandcamp, and you can also find them on Facebook.
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