The Soul Motivators Kick Some Vintage Funk on “Until the Sun Goes Down”

I’ve been replaying this badass cut by Deep funk band the Soul Motivators. The track is a delicious slice of old-school funk, containing the perfect ingredients for a killer groove: tight horns, percolating clavinet, wicked drums, fat bass, funky rhythm guitar and soulful vocals.  And trombonist Nathan Dell-Vandenberg serves up a super-smooth solo, which further increases the groove’s funk quotient. The track also features some stellar conga work from percussionist Nigel Pitt.

The Soul Motivators are a nine-piece ensemble that specializes in vintage soul and funk. The band also includes Afrobeat and hip hop in its repertoire.  “Until the Sun Goes Down” is a track from their self-titled debut EP, which was released in March of 2013. The EP is a superb collection of vintage soul and funk, which showcases the band's impressive musical chops.

The Soul Motivators were formed in Toronto, Canada in 2011. The members are as follows: Voltaire Ramos (guitar), Nathan Dell-Vandenberg (trombone), Lydia Persaud (vocals), Doug Melville (drums), Thomas Moffett (trumpet), Marc Shapiro (bass), James Robinson (keyboards), Nigel Pitt (percussion) and Dominique Morier (saxophone). The band has been steady gigging over the past few years; they’ve played at a slew of funk shows, festivals and special events across Canada and receive regular rotation on CBC Radio 1. They always bring massive doses of funk to each of their performances and never leave the audience disappointed.

The talented funk ensemble recently performed at the Beaches International Jazz Festival in Toronto. It marked the third year running that the band performed at the popular annual music fest. Their sets at the festival included brand-new tracks from their forthcoming full-length studio album. Additionally, the band has opened for music legends such as Afrika Bambaataa and Lee Fields & the Expressions. And on September 27, they will be sharing the stage with Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre. To learn more about The Soul Motivators, drop by their website.