Bands and Artists...............

Small Axe Band

Small Axe Band, the band that is said to have the world up-side-down with their energetic and pulsating sweet musical style of jamming, was formed in the beautiful island of St. Kitts in 1980 under the name of Vibrational Roots Combo with Small Axe in parentheses. They were quickly dubbed the "best local Reggae band" with the thumping bass of then bandleader, Livingstone Samuel and the smooth alto sounds of lead singer Royston "Mr. World" Wigley.

Always in demand, Small Axe, who quickly dropped the "Vibrational Roots" title five years after their existence, for reasons such as (been the sweetest band to performed live, the band that played the longest hours, the band that defeated big brass bands and win the confidence of their fans) for a truer definition of their musical status, has to date, toured the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and throughout the entire Caribbean. They have also performed at the Canadian National Exhibition, the biggest annual fair held in Toronto.

Locally, Small Axe Band has been cutting down bigger "trees" musically, almost every year by consistently winning the Road March competition held during St. Kitts' annual National Carnival in December. Known as "the country band" because of the birthplace of all of the band members, (all hail from the Old Road/Verchilds areas of St. Kitts), Small Axe had to weather the storms of being a "small time" band trying to make it in the world of big orchestras based in Basseterre, who readily received all of the available work at that time.

To solve the problem, Small Axe Band set up throughout the island on weekends, mostly on basketball courts, and played for free making money from drinks sold at a makeshift bar they ran themselves. The trend eventually caught on and the band was finally on its way when people started listening to their "jump-up" style of music and came out to support them.

They have gone on to a great review at the first annual St. Kitts Music Festival, held in June of 1996, and have repeatedly been said to be the only band playing "True St. Kitts Music". They have performed with the likes of some of the Caribbean's top bands like (WCK, Krosfyah, Burning Flames, Jam Band, Imagination Brass and many others and even backed the Calypso King of the World, The Mighty Sparrow at a concert in St. Kitts some years ago.

Small Axe Band has also been producing their own albums, at lease one every year, since their beginnings and have the reputation of being the only local band that can always attract a crowd when they are playing out.

Been in the musical competition for so many years, the band has created a variety of musical styles to accommodate the young, not so young and the old in order to say on top. Doing so, the band has gain recognition of been, not only the number one band in the land but "The Sweetest Band in the World".

Small Axe Band is presently the Road March Winner for the year 2000-2001 with their hit song "Shub back on de Iron".

The Small Axe Band has recently completed a tour for the year 2001 to the United States of America, Canada and United Kingdom. The band is presently at home in St. Kitts where they were eagerly awaited by their musical-thirst fans.

The band comprises eight members:
Elwin "Daddy Bougna" Lucas ~ Key Boards & Rhythm Programmer
Royston "Mr. World" Wigley ~~ Vocals
Vandyke "Naddy" Sullivan ~~~ Vocals
Kelvin "Ras Kelly" Kelly ~~~~~ Key Boards & Rhythm Programmer
Nigel "Skidus" Sullivan ~~~~~ Drums
Nigel "Cannon" Romney ~~~~ Bass
Imran "Clubby" Liburd ~~~~~~ Vocals

http://www.smallaxeband.com