The Roots of Sweetcane
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Sweetcane is a kind of music coined by:
singer songwriter/instrumentalist/producer Marko Pankovich.
Born in Chicago, Illinois to a classical pianist mother, violinist grandma and Opera diva great grandma of Serbian descent, Marko was the first boy in the chain but undeniably a musician. Writing music came easily on the piano at a very early age, then grew into an obsession with the guitar, greatly influenced by the rock, blues and jazz musics of Chicago.
After receiving a Bachelors from Berklee college in Boston, an infatuation with R&B/Soul music turned into a few year stint in the Harlem "chitlin" circuit as a guitarist/vocalist and resulted in a month tour of Japan in conjunction with the Apollo Theatre. This experience, coupled with an interlude as a dancer in a Modern Afro-Caribbean dance co. called "Back Yard dance theatre", branched into an interest in all African based musics. But that's a story of it's own and the concept behind the two Sweetcane recordings, released on D'Ina co. records, "Hit na on the radio" and "Dark night of soul."
The name Sweetcane came whispered in a dream long before any real significance was attached to it. After extensive playing as a guitarist/bassist in the Boston & NYC African music scenes, with such acts as:
Senegalese master drummer Ibrahima's World Beat, Haitian Racine groups Lataye, Batwel Rada & Tjovi Ginen, Zairian Soucous with Kolo'm Boka, Ska & Reggae with Meta & the cornerstones & The Rudie Crew, Nigerian afrobeat w/ Afrosoul messengers and Cuban Son w/ Jose Conde y Ola Fresca,
as well as performing in such notable events as:
the Montreal jazz, Santa Monica pier and New Orleans voodoo festivals,
Sweetcane has begun to have meaning. These roots rhythms, spread by the sugar cane trade, are the inspiration. As with all art, it is an ever evolving process.
Excitingly, a new record is in the works!! Stay tuned!
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CDs available - https://cdbaby.com/cd/sweetcane
