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TU SHUNG PENG

TU SHUNG PENG

In times where Jamaican reggae turns itself increasingly into Dancehall and programming, Tu Shung Peng is cooking up “ old school ” riddims with the real sound of the island’s great years. The best voices of reggae gave their credit to the Tu Shung Pend sound. The likes of Ken Boothe, Mikael Rose, Derrick Harriott, Lone Ranger, Justin Hinds and many others turned up for their production.
Tu Shung Peng is a band to discover with their astonishing Jamaican singer, Ras Daniel Ray, their partner on stage. Still, thanks to the many connexions with the Reggae community, in France as well as in Jamaica, Tu Shung Peng can provide, in addition to its original show with Ras Daniel Ray, extended backing for more Jamaican Reggae artists. Feel free to contact the band for that.
Around Tu Shung Peng, their first self produced opus, is signed on Makasound label since May 2008, making it available everywhere in France, UK, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, and USA.
Trouble Time, their brand new second album, signed on Makasound too, was launched in September 2008.

TU SHUNG PENG AS SEEN BY HELENE LEE
[Helene Lee is a French journalist who specialises in Jamaican and West African music. She started as a journalist in 1979 for Libération and was one of the first to defend the world music in France.
Her early works on African artists helped establish artist like Salif Keita, Alpha Blondy, Ray Lema or Tiken Jah Fakoly. She has published different books related to the Jamaican culture contributing to the development of the reggae music in France and is considered as an expert of the Rasta culture. Other works include documentaries and translations.]
Reggae music is truly astonishing: no frontiers, taking its roots wherever the winds blow. From all sides artists bob up, each with their own gift, roots and ‘goodwill from the land’. These music hobos, terrestrial harmony guerrilla men, have weaved throughout the wide world scores of paths where the old meets the young and where entire continents run into each other. That’s where Tu Shung Peng makes its sound.
Tu Shung Peng? A French band, outskirts of Paris. You wouldn’t have spotted them on telly, and nor have they a turbulent past. They’re simply a pack of good musicians creating some fine rythms for Daniel, their lead-singer, or for passing-by Jamaicans. “Trouble Time”, their second album, has hijacked my turntables, and in the process, invited me to muse on the exact reasons that could bring a French band to knock on the head my favourite Skatalites.
True, with Clinton Fearon’s voice, Michael Rose or Rod Taylor in the background, one can’t get it wrong. Although, play for the ancestors, everyone does it, with Tu Shung Peng, there’s something else.
Is it those ten years spent polishing up true Roots’ cantankerous hobble? Could it be the flickering Soul, Jazz and Latino influences that have fed them as well as Reggae? Is it the distinctiveness or on the opposite the subtlety of their musical arrangements?
When I listen to “Trouble Time” with my friends, something takes us, like in good old times: brightens the eye and ignites the soul. And true, the music had to be strong to convince some of the old dinosaurs to drop their credos and submit to the demands of a bunch of young ones.
Listen to Michael Rose, carried by emotion, thirty years younger!
Listen to Johnny Dizzy Moore: who would have thought the old Skatalites’ trumpet player had such wonder in store! Reggae is alive and kicking, and novelty doesn’t come from Jamaica anymore. Even if the Jamaicans should turn to ‘bling’ in mass, there are hundreds of new artists throughout the world to comfort us, as have done, from the Jamaicans’ 80’s crash, the likes of Kaya, Alpha, Patrice, Lucky Dube, Groundation, Andy Palacio, Tiken Jah, Gentleman, Koloni, Reggae Cow-boys and others.
In France only, there are now tens of bands that can replace any Jamaican set on stage, no sweat. Even if their albums aren’t as strongly convincing as their stage performances, “Trouble Time” makes the most of the game and transforms the piece in the process. Strong, deep, spirited, these titles belong to timeless Reggae.
Jah live!

TU SHUNG PENG BIOGRAPHY
Tu Shung Peng is a Reggae band which acts in its actual form since 2000. It is composed by eight musicians, a sound engineer, and the Jamaican artist Ras Daniel Ray.
Initially introducing themselves as a backing band, the group was joined by various Jamaican singers such as Ras Daniel Ray, Ganja Tree and Jahko Lion to perform on stage as supporting act for prestigious artists like Toots And The Maytals, Gladiators, Skatalites, Twinkle Brothers, Anthony B, Mickey Dread, Abyssinians, Michael Rose, Rod Taylor, Earl 16, Groundation, Ken Boothe...
The various experiences of the group drive their artistic goal and ambitions. Firstly, songs were recorded exclusively in their instrumental form. Meanwhile opportunities were seized to record on those unpublished riddims some famous performers of Jamaican music : Justin Hinds, Lone Ranger, Ken Boothe or Mikey Dread. The idea of the album was born: bring our singers alongside others such as Al Pancho, Jah Marcus and Difanga to perform on our original.
The unique scent of the first album : “ Around Tu Shung Peng ”, certainly comes from the recording methods that were used. The singers discovering the songs, for most of them, in the studio, before recording, had to call out all their experience and musical sense of improvisation to make the music their own and transcend it. This album is indeed the fruit of a long development where the musical arrangements, mix of jazz and soul, in addition with the artist’s vocal performances and the dub mixing brings up the Tu Shung Peng sound.
The public enjoyed the concept, because strong of its success through self-distribution, mainly on fnac.com, the record is published in May 2008 by Makasound label.
Overwhelmed by the concept of the first album, Tu Shung Peng pushed the experience further and just released its second album : “ Trouble Time ”, featuring Clinton Fearon, Michael Rose, Derrick Harriot, Rod Taylor, Prince Jazzbo, Tapper Zuckie, Ranking Joe, U Roy, U Brown, Johnny Dizzy Moore, Joseph Cotton, Ras Daniel Ray... “ Trouble Time ” is published by Makasound label.
Tu Shung Peng is actually performing on stage with Ras Daniel Ray... while preparing an album, expected in late 2009.

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