The Tribune

By LESH

Tribune Features 
Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

THEY are known as a Reggae Fusion Band, but members of “The Truth” say they are not pigeon holed in any musical genre.

Bringing a little Jazz, Soul, R & B, as well as a Reggae sound, members told In Ya Ear, they perform it all.

The Truth Band is best summed up in the word “Revolutionary”. The band was formed in late 2010 by lead singer Judah “Tha Lion” Seymour and Miko Pinder, former bassist. Soon after guitarist Bill “Jah Billy” Burlingame was added to the group.

Raquel “Quelly C” Cooper, a drummer and percussionist, heard of the group and fell in love with the Truth’s sound. She was easily convinced to join.

Others had been core and orbital members, but over the time the line up came down to Judah, Jah Billy and Quelly C.

Many music lovers may remember the Truth from their regular performances at the former Bahama Joes, Downtown, as well as Hammerheads Bar and Grill. However, after a short hiatus, The Truth band came back on the scene with a regular performance at one of Nassau’s most popular hang out spots. For a number of Thursdays during the month of October, supporters of the Truth were patrons of Green Parrot on East Bay, where they listened to the band play.

“I think Green Parrot is a great place to perform in terms of the atmosphere. It is a nice open space, and right next to the water. And plus you can get some great food and drinks while enjoying awesome music. The shows at Green Parrot saw our band re-enter the world of live performance, so we were refreshed and ready to present what we have been working on,” said Judah.

“Anyone who has heard more than one song from the Truth knows that no two songs are exactly alike. We have been working on genre blending and stretching in our song writing and arrangement. Nevertheless, we still have a keen ear for aesthetically pleasing sounds, so we make certain that the music we create is never so far out of the box that it is un-relatable,” said Judah.

The band does not currently have a regular gig, but they play sometimes at Crazy Johnny’s.
The Truth decided to enter in the Global Battle of the Bands (GBOB) competition for the second time around. The winning band will be flown to Thailand in January to represent the Bahamas and compete in the GBOB World Finals.

The winner of the world finals will receive $100,000 and band development packages, as well as a golden statuette for “Best New Band in the World.”

Most of the participants in this year’s competition are returning contenders including Plati, The Truth, New Entry and Avante Guarden. Newcomers include The Kontact Band and Johnnie Christie and The Boats.

Judah said last year’s GBOB experience was “simply awesome”.

“It was like a vibration of diversity flowing throughout the crowd. The music itself one right after the next was such an awesome experience for everybody involved; the bands and the crowd. It was something I never experienced before at any concert I ever attended,” said Judah.

Judah said the Truth has a brand that is worth looking at and listening to. He said it is their job to put themselves out there as much as they can in any avenue that they can, so that they can share their talents with supporters, as well as gain encouragement and energy in return.

“This year we expect to show how much we have grown.

“We have grown as individuals as well as a group, and we have been doing a lot of writing and a whole list of new material that we are anxious to show people. It’s a whole new year and a whole new Truth and we are just ready to share what we have been working on,” said Judah.

“We were grateful to even make it into the second round last year, and this year we have to work on getting more exposure. We already have a fan base that is already familiar with us and they are anticipating our performance. I feel confident in my band mates and the talent that God has blessed us with,” he said.

Quelly C added that by re-entering the GBOB competition, the Truth can now “expose the Truth”, by bringing forth their diverse and new selection to the crowd. Quelly C said hopefully they will come out as winners this year.