Band Bios

The Jakoostik Music Ensemble formerly known as the Calabash Acoustic Ensemble consists of Wayne Armond, Seretse Small and Donald Waugh knocking out with passion and ease Jamaican Classics from the catalogues of Peter Tosh, Bob Andy, Beres Hammond, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and others all with an acoustic vibe. 

The group owes its beginnings to being the featured musical act at the Calabash Literary festival where for seven years the group looked at the work of Jamaican Songwriters as literature performing them acoustically with analysis and joy. Now the group is the “Jakoostik” Music Ensemble, Jamaican Music performed with an acoustic aesthetic. The group newly named has started recording an album and performing at live venues. The first major performance was a lunch hour concert at the Bank of Jamaica auditorium and then a concert at the Jamaican live music hot spot Red Bones Blues Café. Most recently the group performed for a very appreciative audience in Dominica for the Year of the Child 2010 Jazz Festival featuring Arturo Sandoval and Arturo Tappin where it was said that…” most people could easily have listened to Jakoostic all evening” (Paul Crask) Jakoostik Music Ensemble is eager to share its brand of Jamaican celebration through music because as Bob Marley said, “One thing about music, when it hit you, you feel no pain” The group has just produced its first album "Jakoostik Vol. 1"

 



Wayne Armond

Wayne Armond has made is mark on Jamaican music history as the leader of the reggae group Chalice and is a producer of note on several projects collaborating with groups from around the world and nurturing the sound of the next generation with groups like Rootz Underground and Etana.






Seretse Small

Seretse Small is the CEO of his own music company Griot Music Limited which is a leader in the promotion of live music in Jamaica through bookings and artist development. Formerly a student of the Jamaica School of Music and having done courses at New England Conservatory and Berklee Jazz College in Boston he is the jazz improviser in the group.






Donald Waugh

Donald is a talented mutli-instrumentalist and music teacher who has recently toured with the mento group "The Jolly Boys". An avid session musician and producer he runs his own production out "Airplai productions".