Mandrill

What do R&B and hip-hop artists Kanye West, Brandy, Black-Eyed Peas, Wyclef Jean, Missy Elliott and Public Enemy have in common? They are just a few of the many artists who have sampled the legendary Funk/R&B/Jazz/Latin/Rock band Mandrill. You can hear their signature sound on Kanye West’s “Two Words” with Mos Def from Kanye’s Grammy Award-winning College Dropout album as well as on Brandy’s single “Talk About Our Love” featuring and produced by Kanye West from her Grammy-nominated Afrodisiac album. Other samples include Shawty Lo’s’ “Dey Know”, KRS One’s “For Example,” Black Eyed Peas “Weekends,” Floetry’s “Have Faith,” Wyclef Jean’s “You Say Keep It Gangsta,” Tweet and Missy Elliot’s “We Don’t Need No Water,” Kindred’s “If I,” and Nas’ “U Gotta Love It.” As one of the most sampled groups of today, Mandrill has been introduced to a whole new generation of younger fans who are appreciating, in live concerts, the power and artistry of this band.

Hailing from the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, New York by way of Panama, Mandrill has been heralded as “one of the world’s greatest musical treasures.” Formed by the Wilson Brothers Lou, Ric “Doc” and Carlos they were later joined by brother Wilfredo and the sons of Lou and Carlos, The One Sun Lion Ra and Jadiem, respectively. A family of multi-instrumentalists, whose background is a melting pot of Caribbean culture blended with the sound and heart of urban America, Mandrill were pioneers of the unique musical combination of Funk, Rock, Latin, R&B and the Jazz fusion movement of the time.

Their first three albums were recorded at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in New York’s Greenwich Village. During the recording of their first album in 1970 they often shared the facility with Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix and other notable artists. Plans to perform with Jimi Hendrix were thwarted by his untimely death.

Mandrill’s reputation as a “World Music Group” and “Champions for Peace” began with their self titled debut album, which contained the epic composition "Peace and Love". This amazing suite was performed to a standing room only audience at Philharmonic Hall in New York City more than three decades ago. At that time, the 80-piece orchestra, Symphony of the New World and a 200-voice chorus, accompanied the Group. Renowned musical conductor Coleridge Taylor Perkinson directed the performance.

On two occasions Mandrill appeared before sold out audiences at Carnegie Hall and their versatility is demonstrated by the fact that they have shared the stage with artists of all genres. Mandrill performed with James Brown at Madison Square Garden and the Apollo in New York City, with Duke Ellington at Philharmonic Hall, and with Miles Davis at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West. Other artists with whom the stage has been shared include Herbie Hancock, Davie Bowie, Patti LaBelle, Earth Wind & Fire, Tito Puente and The Fania All Stars, Frank Zappa, The Eagles, Deep Purple, Mott The Hoople, Jim Croce, and War.

Their recent Washington, D.C. engagement celebrates musical history when the group headlined the bill that packed RFK Stadium beyond capacity as 80,000 people came to see Mandrill with special guests Parliament / Funkadelic, Rare Earth and the Jimmy Castor Bunch in 1973, breaking the previously longheld attendance record set by the Rolling Stones.

Always socially conscious, Mandrill was a participant with Aretha Franklin and other musicians in the creation of a platinum album for the United Nations that raised funds for children and international refugees. The Group is actively involved in a campaign that focuses on the preservation of our rain forests and the plight of its namesake, the mandrill (West African baboon) that is critically endangered due to habitat encroachment and poaching.

Their soon-to-be released seventeenth album continues to promote positive messages of peace, harmony and social justice. A few highlights of this CD include their new songs “We Gotta Get It (Right This Time) (ft. The One Sun Lion Ra)" and “The Vow”, a call by Mandrill for people all over the world to come together as one with a healing agenda. “The Vow”, a powerful composition by Lou Wilson, features Lou on lead vocals, George Duke on keyboards, with Sekou Bunch and Herman Matthews rounding out the presentation on bass and drums respectively. “Spirit Of Hiroshima”, composed by Ric Wilson and featuring his lead vocals, encourages us to deal with challenges, not as victims, but with strength and compassion.

Mandrill's tribute song to President Obama “Ablessing” with the commanding lead vocals of Dwight Trible sends a message of hope and love, struggle and triumph. Other collaborators include the great Gerald Albright and Chuck D of Public Enemy. This CD will truly reflect the full spectrum of Mandrill including the booty shakin’ fun and funk that their fans have grown accustomed to.

Still touring the U.S. and abroad, the Wilson Brothers remain the driving force behind Mandrill. The current band is fueled by a new generation of multi-talented musicians including Marc Rey, Arlan Schierbaum, Keith Barry, Michael Beholden, Gemi Taylor and Stacey Lamont Sydnor. In June 2008, Mandrill performed at the Annual West Oak Lane Jazz Festival in Philadelphia, PA where they were warmly received by over 30,000 fans.

The Group will be touring internationally throughout 2009 and is scheduled to return to the Tangiers Jazz Festival in Morocco in May.