Seretse Small is a guitarist who loves to improvise and compose music with passion and a Caribbean voice. Having thirty years experience playing music in Jamaica where he was born he is a lover and defender of Caribbean Music especially music from Jamaica. His music is a fusion of Reggae, Rock, Jazz, Classical Guitar and Latin styles reflecting him being influenced by Quincy Jones, Bob Marley, Van Halen, George Benson and Earl Klugh.

NEW BAND

At this time Seretse has put together a new band called “Seretse & Friends”and is in the process of rehearsing and recording new material for an album and in preparation for performances in Caribbean Jazz Festivals and a European Tour. The material is based on Seretse’s arrangements of Classic Jamaican Music from Toots to Bob Marley and other international hits from several genres promoting the idea of a good musical time. Seretse’s objective is to get people to dance and sing along to instrumental music that has a Jamaican energy and voice. He is committed to bringing his many years of experience to bear on his performances and give his audience a fun and divers musical experiences filled with passion and adventurous improvisation.

The new band includes Kamla Hamilton on keyboards, Obed Davis on drums and Nigerian Bass player Mfon Udosen who recently graduated from the Edna Manley School of Music. Though a young band they have been working with Seretse on several music projects over that last few years from Rock concerts to Ska bands. Kamla as pianist is classically trained and plays for churches and musical theater concerts, Obed is not only a drummer but a budding jazz pianist who got his start playing steel pan and now teaches music at a high school in the inner city of Kingston, Jamaica. Mfon traveled from Nigeria to Jamaica to study music and add that Reggae vibe to his love of Afro-Funk music, he is also teaching at a school in Portmore, Jamaica.

TEACHER & PERFORMER

This group of educated young musicians makes the perfect complement for Seretse who himself has many years as music teacher at Primary, Secondary and Tertiary level institutions. He has taught Caribbean Jazz and Guitar at the Edna Manley School of Music and headed his own music department at the EXED Community College. His own educational background spans attending the Jamaica School of Music and attending Berklee Jazz College, New England Conservatory and the Longy School of Music in short courses in Jazz Performance.

He has performed with Jamaican luminaries such as Sonny Bradshaw, Dean Fraser, Mickey Hanson, Benji Myaz, Wayne Armond and Cynthia Schloss and others. He toured the world with Sean Paul as his guitarist, making appearances on the Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live and Conan O’Brian. As a guitarist Seretse has travelled the world performing at the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, St Lucia jazz Festival, Grenada Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival (performing with Sean Paul).


GIVING HONOUR

As Seretse prepares for a year of recording and touring he acknowledges Bob Marley’s 65th birthday and the passing of Sonny Bradshaw one of his mentors who passed in 2009. “May the fire that they passed on to me never die and the music never stop playing…”