 For more than 30 years Maleo has been one of the most active Polish artists, and his experienced band plays reggae like a razor. Whether it is Rototom, Africa, Kiev’s Maidan or a small town in the very end of Poland – he is there with a message of love revolution.
The leader of Maleo Reggae Rockers is Dariusz „Maleo” Malejonek, who began his musical career in 1983 in Kultura, to join forces with Robert Brylewski in Izrael - Kultura and Izrael. He recorded 5 albums with them. Darek was a bass player for legendary punk/HC bands Moskwa and Armia. In 1989 he founded Houk, who released 5 albums including epic "Transmission into your Heart". He is also a co-founder of 2 Tm 2,3 (Tymoteusz) and Arka Noego.
In 1997 Maleo formed Maleo Maleo Reggae Rockers and a year later released the debut album "ZaZuZi", filled with reggae and world music elements. In 2001 the group played a Polish tour with Jamaican Michael Black, and a year later toured the country with Kofi Ayivor (the lead singer for legendary Osibisa) & Michael Black. These collaborations can be heard on "Maleo Reggae Rockers & Michael Black Live 2002" album and "Maleo Reggae Rockers at Woodstock 2003" DVD. 2006 is the next studio album „ReggaeMova", followed with „Addis Ababa” (2009), inspired by Maleo’s trip to Africa. It was the first ever reggae album nominated to the Fryderyki Awards – the main music award in Poland.
The band participated in the events commemorating the Warsaw Uprising - „Pamiętamy 44 - Gajcy”, „Warszawskie Dzieci” and performed at the shows supporting the struggle for democracy in Belarus - „Solidarni z Białorusią”. Summer 2010 saw them playing at Rototom Sunsplash in Spain. Soon after another live album hit the stores - “Maleo Reggae Rockers & goście – XVI Przystanek Woodstock”.
„Rzeka Dzieciństwa” („River of Childhood”, 2011) contains cover versions of classic Polish songs from Niemen, Grechuta, Nalepa, Krajewski etc., presented with a roots reggae manner spiced with rock steady, blues and funk. Maleo Reggae Rockers invited lots of guests to their two concept albums - „Morowe panny”(2012), paying tribute to the brave women of the Warsaw Uprising and „Panny wyklęte”(2013), telling the story of the anti-nazi soldiers persecuted by the communism terror after WW2. Their latest album „Revolution” is another important step in the history of the band. It is a return to a sharper, diverse style, full of various ethnic and cultural influences. Classic reggae is influenced by rock, hip hop, and even Balkan or oriental music. Main Polish rapper Grubson or African female singer Ifi Ude are guests on the album.
In Winter 2014 Maleo Reggae Rockers supported Kiev’s Maidan and managed to performed a short show on stage there, before it had to be cut for security reasons.
Links:
Video:
„Słyszę” feat. Grubson, clip
„Revolution / Na krawędzi [Майдан 2014]” clip
„Alibi” clip
"Moc" clip
„Dzikie Serce” clip
„Hasanoga” clip
„Ostrożnie!” clip
„Serca nie oszukasz” clip
„Płoną góry, płoną lasy” clip
Maleo Reggae Rockers & Młodzi Gniewni - live Ostróda Reggae Festival 2012
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