Have You Heard: The Isolites

How did you get together? A love of original ‘60s Jamaican ska brought together a group of local musicians, from bands playing swing, jump blues, rock’n’roll and dub reggae. The chemistry was right and The Isolites were born!

Sum up your musical sound in four words? 1960s-style ska, rocksteady, calypso.

If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? The great ska originators, The Skatalites.

You’re being sent into space, no iPod, you can bring one album – what would it be? BaBa Boom is a killer collection of rocksteady and takes some beating... ‘60s albums by Prince Buster or master guitarist Ernest Ranglin would do the job too!

Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? We’ve been lucky to play the Bob Marley Outernational festival and support international ska bands The Selecter and Bad Manners but the biggest achievement was releasing an album of our own original ska, rocksteady and calypso tunes, Shake It Up!.

Why should people come and see your band? Smokin’ horns, a swingin’ rhythm section and two knockout vocalists... The Isolites are irresistibly danceable.

When and where for your next gig? RTRFM’s 35 years of Jamdown Vershun at The Bakery, 13 Feb, then a show in Hyde Park, 22 Mar.

Website link for more info? facebook.com/isolites