Mateo Monk

Current News: As you can see, I've recently posted two videos. The first video is to give people a taste of how I use a looper pedal in my live shows to create multi-layered grooves and be a one-man jam band. I love to play my instruments! I'd get too bored doing the typical singer-songwriter thing, just strummin' and singing. Music without exploration and improvisation can only bring me minimal joy. It's the capacity to spontaneously express the intangible that makes music the highest of the arts in my book. The second video was shot quite poorly, but the sounds are irie. It's a little snap shot from my Adam's Morgan days, when I played frequently in the African clubs. Here I'm playing with THC, a band that dis-banded too soon before it realized its full potential. We had something special; I hope this video conveys that. That's me on the guitar, Desi-I on vocals and keys, Darryl Burke on bass, and Leslie James on drums... all former members of my all-time favorite reggae band Culture. I really enjoy messing around with video editing, so look for fresh new jams caught on camera in the near future.
At the top right of this page, in my jukebox, are songs I recently recorded in my home studio in Virginia. I played all instruments, engineered, and mixed all of the tunes myself. The first six songs are simple acoustic arrangements that I put together for the purpose of a demo to solicit more gigs. I kept the arrangements simple to reflect the vibe of my live shows. The songs "Pulled Over Again" and "Ease My Mind" are original compositions. The sixth tune is a live recording from one of my shows. The 7th tune, "Don't Dream It's Over", is a fully produced cover of an 80's tune by Crowded House that I recorded on commission. I took plenty of liberties on the arrangement, and I must say the song really captures a lot of the production aesthetics I most enjoy. For a cover tune, there's a lot of "me" in the vibe and feel of the music. The last tune, "Dreadful Wind In Rain", is a remake of a traditional folk tune popularized by Jerry Garcia. I wanted to create a hybrid sound of Indian devotional music with a dash of jam band and electro flavors. I've got much more music in the works, with plenty of new original songs. I'll update this space as I finish the tunes, so keep an eye out for fresh, new music!
Bio: I took up the guitar when I was 16 years old and have been performing regularly since 1992. I moved to Washington DC in 2003 from Boulder Colorado, where for several years I led an original reggae/soul fusion band called Natural Kingdom. While opening a show for the legendary reggae band Culture, I was “discovered” by acclaimed reggae producer Georges Kouakou and we proceeded to record my first release entitled “Guidance and Protection” at Lion and Fox Studios in the DC. Georges co-produced several of Alpha Blondy’s groundbreaking records, including the “Jerusalem” album, and he has toured with many reggae greats including Culture, Burning Spear, and the Wailers. While recording the record I also had the pleasure of working with Junior Marvin of Bob Marley and the Wailers. “Guidance and Protection” was picked up by the French label Sankofa Blackstar and has received international airplay, as well as frequent rotation on XM Radio here in the US. In fall of 2004 I played a two-week, multi-city tour throughout France with The Viceroys and Clinton Fearon of the Gladiators to promote the disc.
Since being in DC I have been a member of three bands, One Night Stand featuring Walter Tate on sax (8/03 to 8/04), THC featuring Dezzy Hyson of Culture and Mojanya (8/04 to 12/05), and most recently, Qleenkut from Liberia, the house band at the Ghana Café in Adams Morgan (12/05 to 2/07 and 6/7 to 9/7). I've also done plenty of freelance gigs, working in the studio and onstage with various artists, including an impromtu performance with Alpha Blondy and two live appearances with Junior Marvin. I am currently focusing on solo performances utilizing looping technology, and producing original music in my home studio.
Services: I’m available for both studio session work and live performance (including tours) playing lead and rhythm guitar, vocals, and flute. I’m a talented and versatile musician capable of bring life, color, and creativity to just about any style of music. My album credits include: Rising Sun Reggae Band, Beware (guitar and flute) Serge Kassy, Au nom de dieu (rhythm and lead guitar) Crazy B, Yom I Mane (guitar and production of intro/segway) Peter Humphrey & Oasis Band, Oasis Style (flute) S.T.O.R.M, Eye of the Storm (guitar and flute) Shasha Marley, Lost and Found (guitar and flute) Mateo Monk, Guidance and Protection (lead vocals, flute, guitar, songwriting)
I also do quality graphic design work and can help you with promotional posters, album covers, promo paks, and web design. Check my pics and my website www.mateomonkmusic.com for samples of my work.