Native of the Fiji Islands, Kai “Pita” Katobalavu, lead singer of Unity the Band, was born in the capital Suva city. At the time he was growing up, there was no music education in the schools, so he taught himself to play a wide range of native instruments including a wooden drum called the lali by listening and singing native songs. He also learned the meke, which is a complex combination of voices and dance and is often used in times of war, as native dance was also an integral part of his life. At a very young age he followed his uncle’s band, The Blue Ribbon, based out of Tailevu. This band had a modern sound and opened his eyes to the vastness of music.
At the age of 10, he heard the album Soul Rebels by Bob Marley and the Wailers, and discovered reggae had a similar beat to the native music of the islands; however, it was the message of a colorless existence and eradication of oppression that motivated him to pursue his own music. He wanted to send a similar message of inspiration and became a reggae musician.
In addition to The Blue Ribbon, he traveled around the island and listened to other local bands. At the age of 15, he heard the first reggae band out of New Zealand called Herbs live at a Greenpeace assembly in Suva. Herbs represented the Pacific Islands in terms of a minority in the world, and gave them a voice, and he wanted to be part of the global change. An active member of Greenpeace, the movement at the time protested nuclear waste in the Pacific. The current movement concentrates on Global Warming and the worldwide effects for civilization, and Kai remains an active supporter of the organization.
In 1988, after the first coups in Fiji, Kai moved to the Hawaiian Islands to be close to his parents, and pursue his dream of becoming a musician. He formed a band called the Polynesian Connection that combined reggae, ska and rock. He also played in several luau bands, but was never fully satisfied.
Then in 2002, he moved to Wisconsin to actively pursue his music career, because he felt there were more people in the states that needed to be exposed to the underlying message of reggae. He also wanted to be a voice for the Pacific and address the problems faced in the Islands in order to develop awareness and incite action. Wisconsin provided a great opportunity for him to develop his own sound and be a stepping-stone for that movement.
Unity the Band still pursues original roots rock reggae, and conveys the message of activism, tolerance, and above all, One Love.
Kai encourages you to visit his homeland:
Jason “Red” Brown (Bass) Jason Brown began playing bass in 1984, in Los Angeles, California. Growing up near Hollywood provided ample opportunity to see and hear music and musicians of all styles and calibers. This taught Jason, at a young age, that it was not the style of music being played that was important, but whether the music was being performed with passion and skill.
Jason moved to Humboldt County, in Northern California, to go to college, and wound up playing in almost every kind of band that the area had to offer. The Humboldt area is known for it's widely varied artistic community, among other things...
In 1995, Jason went to Branson, Missouri and started playing with Hank Williams III. This eventually led to living in Nashville, TN., where he worked as Hank III's bassist and band leader for nearly seven years. In Nashville, Jason also worked with many top artists as well as becoming a fixture around town as an upright bassist. During this period, he also performed regularly at clubs on Beale Street, in Memphis.
Jason has appeared on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, The Grand Ole Opry, Prime Time Country, BBC Radio, Europe Radio One, and countless other shows. He has also appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine, GQ Magazine, and many others, too numerous to remember. He recorded on most of Hank III's recordings between '96 and 2001, on Curb Records. He also has appeared on the Grammy-winning album “Timeless.”
In 2003, Jason recorded on Unity's first CD and played live shows with the band. Now, nearly six years later, he rejoins Pita and the crew for more good times!
Kelvin Ayres has been playing drums since he was ten, when he got his first gig at a house party in Indiana. Kelvin's dad, a Jazz musician, and his family band traveled and played extensively throughout the United States with many of those engagements for political functions and corporate events. His early musical influences were John Coltrane and Weather Report.
As a singer, songwriter, and producer his current influences include Usher and Producers Timbaland and Pharrell of the Neptunes. In his free time he can be found at his recording studio, KAP, where he writes, produces, records local talent. He is also a licensed Real Estate Agent and investor.
Matt started in music at a very young age. His parents enrolled him in the Yamaha Primary Music School for kids when he was eight. He learned the basics of harmony in both singing and keyboard. He then went on to take guitar lessons between the ages of 10 and 13. Matt's early struggle with reading music led him to forsake middle and high-school band. Instead he spent many hours just jamming away with the radio. After he graduated high-school he felt a need to challenge himself more through music. So he began searching throughout various music and book stores to find any information he could get his hands on. In doing this he became much more confident in his skills and abilities. Since then he has been a regular face at many "open-mic nights" around the Fox Valley area. Matt came accross Unity when former band member Ryan Gleason introduced Matt to Pita and the rest of the group. Matt actually started playing bass with Unity because there was some open gigs and Matt was more then willing to get up and play. Now as the lead guitar player, Matt really doesn't have a whole lot of experience, but what he lacks on his resume' he makes up for with his big heart and positive attitude.
Jeremy (Chunk) Schroetter (Percussion) began controlling vibrations about eight years ago after acquiring a doumbek. Thanks to his friends and other great musicians, he finds his inspiration in jazz, Native American, Latin, Indian, and nyabinghi. To the musical lilt of Unity he adds the nyabinghi style, which was originally used in roots reggae. Since everybody and everything has a vibration, Chunk hopes to catch every person’s vibe and apply it to the rhythm so that they may connect with the unifying message.
David LeBlanc (Keyboards) is originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan. He started out playing piano in his parent's basement at the age of 5. Late one night after watching the movie "Big", he had the melody of the song "Heart & Soul" stuck in his head and, to his parents amazement, he snuck downstairs and began playing the melody he had just heard by ear. Throughout his childhood and into early adulthood, he basically kept practicing, writing, and recording his own music in that same basement.
He finally got out of the basement in 2004 and headed for Arizona to attend the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences after graduating high school. It was there where he met a talented group of musicians and really began to enjoy performing music, rather than just quietly working on his own projects. After completing the program, he moved to Wisconsin with his friends and joined their band. Dave soon found that his natural ability and musical ear attracted other opportunities to play in various groups around the area.
Music has really been at the center of David's life ever since his youth and has continuously lead him to new opportunities. His influences come from any and all forms of music that cross his path. At this point in his life, Dave is ready to get out and play, and share his love of music with others.
