Evolution

Born at an In-Progress Art Festival at the now-defunct Ft. Lauderdale nightspot Squeeze on July 2, 1993, the amorphous early ensembles featured a rotating line-up of local musicians eager to explore the band's culturally curious aesthetic. The Baboons are still stimulated by the mish-mash of rhythms you hear on a typical hot day on the beach in South Florida. Throughout the years, musicians with diverse backgrounds have added to the band's sound, and the band has shared the bill with Jimmy Buffet, George Clinton's P-Funk All-Stars, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and The Radiators. Since their inception, The Baboons have received many honors, including New Times Miami's 'Best Album 1999' for Evolution, and a Florida Jammy Award for Best Worldbeat Band. The Baboons returned to the recording studio with producer Phil MacArthur (Ricky Martin), who engineered 1999's award-winning Evolution and 2001's Global Gumbo. The Baboons' debut recording features the talents of lead vocalist Majica, drummer Mano Pila, percussionist Miguel Rega, guitarist Jose Elias, bassist Chris Castellanos and saxophonist Rob Stephenson. Special Guests include David Aviles on keyboards, Phil McArthur on violin on 'Ode,' Xande Cruz on Brazilian percussion on 'Samba Oscura.'