Joseph.
JO-JO" Bennett officially began his musical career at the age of 10
when he enrolled at Alpha Boys' School in Kingston, Jamaica to begin
formal studies in Jazz and the Classics. He began playing the drums but
made a voluntary switch soon after to playing the trumpet. He became
very proficient in musical theory in general and a long time before
graduation he was allowed by the Institution to instruct new arrivals
in musical theory and practice. After graduation he played as lead
trumpeter with the Jamaica Military Band for quite a while. His
classical music involvement after training was short as JO-JO was being
aggressively pursued to perform on the Pop Circuit by the Caribbean
leading orchestras.
JO-JO
Bennett left the Military Band to perform on Jamaica's North Coast but
was courted by the island's leading orchestra Byron Lee & The
Dragonnaires and he recorded several albums with them before choosing
to stay in Canada after the groups impressive show at Expo 67.
Once settled in Toronto, JO-JO organized his first Canadian performing
group called "The Fugitives" whose home base was the West Indian
Federation Club in Toronto. In the seventies and eighties Bennett was
involved in many musical venture in Canada (Toronto) and was the prime
mover behind the establishment of the first (and only) Black controlled
music school. At this time instructions in the Reggae music genre was
introduced under his tutelage. In 1970 while on hiatus in his homeland
Jamaica, Bennett released his first and only album "Groovey Joe" while
performing live and doing studio work for numerous record companies. He
had several single disc hits while at home, his most memorable "Leaving
Rome" thus establishing his talent on an international level. He
returned to Canada in the late seventies and shortly after in 1979
registered his music label "BUNJO". JO-JO Bennett is currently the
leader (Guru) of the Toronto based Pop-Reggae band "The Sattalites", a
band that is the winner of numerous music awards including a Juno in
1990. A 'rabble-rouser' as he as been dubbed by music critics, this
entertainer still has the exuberance
and charm of a youth just discovering music. To meet and talk with the
veteran off stage however, he provides no insight at all as to his on
stage 'rabble rousing', he becomes deeply introverted and
on-exhibitionist. If asked about his plans for the future he states "I
just take it one day at a time"
|