J Boog und Katchafire

Afemata may have been born in Long Beach but he was raised on the tough streets of Compton. The man credits music and his family with keeping him on the straight and narrow, and the combination of the two was what first sparked the young Boog’s interest in singing and performing.

Boog was four years old when his sister took up piano lessons, and there was something about the music that fascinated him even at that age. He would watch her play, learn along with her at the same time, and soon after he found that he could sing along with her playing note for note.

After that, she started playing from a Bob Marley songbook and from then on, all bets were off.Afemata was hooked, he began singing wherever he could, but only took it seriously as a career prospect after high school.

Fast forward to 2007, where a trip to Hawaii and a chance meeting with legendary reggae singer George Veikoso (AKA Fiji) led to Boog handing the veteran singer a mixtape he’d been working on. Fiji got Boog to perform for the staff of South Pac Records, and they began working on Boog’s debut album the day after. Literally.

As if that wasn’t fairytale enough, his debut album “Hear Me Roar” went on to chart in the top ten of the Billboard Reggae albums chart, and his second effort, 2011’s “Backyard Boogie” topped it. He’s truly one of American reggae’s hottest talents, and it’s only getting hotter from hear on out.

The band was originally a family affair, with Grenville Bell and his two sons Logan and Jordan forming the band in the year 2000. It has seen numerous line up changes due to commitments issues from several members but now includes eight musicians in total. Their first album 'Revival' was releases in 2003 and peaked at #5 in New Zealand, it included three top ten singles, the most successful being 'Giddy Up' which reached #4.

The band has been managed by numerous members over the years, the first being original founder Grenville Bell who happily turned the role over to Ara Adams Tamatea. However after a time Ara decided to step down as manager so it once again fell to a founding member, this time Logan Bell. They continued to enjoy chart success with their following album releases; 'Slow Burning' peaked at #12, 'Say What You're Thinking' at #5 and 'On The Road Again' and 'Best So Far' both reached #3 in New Zealand.

Katchafire has toured worldwide building up a loyal following of their reggae sound. A real popular act in neighbouring Australia, the band are known for their upbeat live shows and tight musical skill. They have supported other renowned reggae acts including Steel Pulse, Third World, UB40 and Shaggy.