One of Monterey Bay’s most eccentric and stimulating local projects, eight-piece reggae fusion ensemble Sensory Tribe has been treating their creative process like a family affair since forming almost a decade ago. Their unique worldly sound onstage juxtaposed with a relentless commitment to their work and a level of determination to promote their movement in their personal lives culminates in an experience that few bands ever dream of. Growing from paying ticket holders of their hometown classic Cali Roots festival for many years to opening one of its stages at its 14th iteration, the members of the group are as embedded in the local music scene as anyone.
Grateful Web got to sit down with the members of the band at this year’s Cali Roots to talk with them about their story, the ways they joke around with each other offstage, and the trial and error that has led them to this point.
Grateful Web: So you guys have been bootstrapping this project for years, you’re growing in the California reggae scene, and you’re finally getting to play on the biggest stages in the genre. What has that process been like, and how has this project evolved through the years?
Beckah Cordell: It’s been a fun iteration. A lot of hard work and a lot of evolution and growth, and growth is not always sunshine and rainbows, but there is a lot that goes along with it, and being able to play here has been a goal, a dream, a vision, for a lot of us for a long time, and something that we don’t take lightly. It’s something that we have a lot of gratitude for. After this, we have a lot of inspiration to continue and inspire our craft and creativity. It’s an opportunity to share our light and our love.
Glenn Bell: I gotta follow that? Well, we’re overjoyed to be on this side of the stage. It was a whirlwind, but it was so much fun. I’m humbled. It lived up to everything we thought it was going to be.
GW: On that note, you’re from the Monterey Bay area. How does that local connection play into how much getting to play Cali Roots means to you?
Sweesly Maak: Man, it particularly means a lot to me because I’m originally from Morocco, Africa, so the fact that I’m able to do it on this scale with these professional musicians is amazing. I couldn’t believe it when I was onstage seeing people running around, trying to make sure we sound good, everybody plugging in mics, trying to make sure we sound right, frequency-wise, EQ, and all that technical stuff. It means the world to me. But I’m sure you all know most of us feel pretty much the same way. It’s phenomenal, there’s nothing I could add.
Righteous Sistah: So, I represent the 408 and the 209. I drive very far to play with these kooks. But I’m super thankful that this tribe has brought me along in this experience, and I feel like a valued, supported member of this group where we all contribute in ways that we shine. It’s a blessing, for sure. “Safe Space” is one of our newer songs, and we touch on the concept of being celebrated for your fullness and everything that you have to offer. Being at Cali Roots this year, I’ve been here the last couple of years with one of my best friends, Mindy, and after last year, I was like, “I don’t need to go again unless I’m performing.” And it’s pretty amazing that this happened. So, moral of the story, do the things. You know? Let people call you crazy.
GW: So last Thursday, you were a part of the festival’s last media push to get people through the gates of the festival and performed live on local KRML to promote your set. How did that come together, and what does that mean to be a part of this community on that scale?
El Kallpa: Dude, I’m a hustler, ok? Let’s start with that. I have no shame, I’ll plug it in. I know we have something great, people just need to hear it. It’s hard to promote yourself because then, they think your ego is on the line, this is not the case. This is not me, that’s them. This is a story, and everyone is to know it. When we play somewhere and they give us the media list and say “media might contact you” I say “fuck that.” I contact every media person and say, “You need to hear my story.” So that’s what I did. When I saw KRML was doing this, I DM’d them that day and said, “You know who should be there? Me.” And then they said, “Ok, come in.”
GW: And how do you feel about how it went?
EK: Well, I had to play guitar. And I don’t play guitar. So I was very nervous. Everyone else was all busy, so it was just me representing the whole tribe, and I thought, “How can I replace nine amazing people with one?” So I played a little bit and handed it off to the studio.
BC: But honestly, that’s how you start the songwriting process.
EK: That’s true, and it’s part of the story. So then I got to meet Dan, my wife won some tickets to come in on Friday, and that Thursday I met Oden, one of the MCs at Cali Roots, and it was a wonderful day.
GW: So you guys have been playing here since even before Cali Roots started. Why do you think Monterey has become the predominant hub of American reggae?
EK: Well, Glenn graduated from high school here.
Glenn Bell: And it wasn’t that long ago I graduated from high school here. Well, this is the birthplace of the modern music festival. All the way back to Monterey Pop. There’s something about this area that is good for agriculture and making music history. Those are the two things we’re known for, and then there’s golf. But this is where Hendrix burned his guitar, and there’s just something in the soil. When I was just learning how to play my instrument, there was the Monterey Bay reggae festival, and I loved that whole scene so much, I still have the haircut. I think Cali Roots is the latest iteration of that spirit. We have clean water, clean air, and we’re inspired.
SM: And expensive rent.
GB: Oof, chill. But we’re just inspired to write music and share it with everyone. And ever since the Monterey Pop Festival, Monterey reggae festival, Monterey blues festival, the Jazz festival, my God, everything’s just piggybacking on what came prior.
GW: Glenn, while you’re on the soapbox, I have to ask. Do you paint that luchador mask on for every show, or is that just a Cali Roots special?
GB: Oh, let’s talk about this. This is great to finally be able to talk about this. This band lied to me. When I played my first show with them, they told me, “It’s Sensory Tribe, we’re all going to dress like a tribe and do face paint and stuff.” And I showed up like this in 2016. And nobody else did. So I just kind of held onto that resentment.
RS: Aww!
GB: But I’m a '90s kid, and I was watching wrestling at its height and saw the peak performers, and I just wanted to get a little bit of that into my stage performance, you know?
GW: So you guys have been giving your all to this project for a long time, and it takes a lot of your time. Between the time in the studio, rehearsing, and touring, how do you make sure your family at home gets the attention they deserve?
EK: Jose, you perform with a couple of other bands, why don’t you take this?
Jose Sanches: So this is my first time actually performing with Sensory Tribe. What do we call that?
RS: Honorary Tribesman?
JS: I like that. But I music full time. I live in San Jose, I travel all over for this, and time management, it all stems from what your true goals are and sticking to them. It’s cutthroat, and music is my number one. So for example, we have rehearsals every week, and that’s all I’m thinking about, so everything else kind of falls into place after that, and that’s all I’m thinking about. And then you do that with another band, and another gig. You find the holes, you make it work, and you make sure that’s always your number one. Of course, after you take care of yourself. And then a lot of trial and error, I didn’t just suddenly get good at time management. It’s taken maybe 15 years to get good at that. But definitely, getting ready for this show took my own time management skills to another level, and I’m so happy I got to do it.
EK: Let me tell you about this guy. I collabed with Jose on one of my own songs, and I just sent him the track, three days later he sent me his back, and they were done, they were perfect, so I told him if he ever wanted to play with us, and he said “Oh yeah, I might be able to, let me look at the dates.” First practice, he shows up with all of our music charted, he was ready, so this guy studies a lot.
BC: And our music had never been charted.
EK: Our music has never been charted by us. So when he showed up like that, I was like, you’re hired for any show you want, bro. You can play with us whenever you want. G Scar, say something.
G Scar: I agree with everything they’ve said. There’s nothing I can add to that.
GW: Anything coming up you’re excited for?
EK: Our next show is the Strawberry Festival in Watsonville, so that’s a free show, open to the public, we play on August 2nd, then we have another show right here right here at the Monterey Fairgrounds for the Motorsports festival on August 16th, and we’re going to headline the night on the bowl. And we have songs coming out. Lots of singles, we’re going to focus on that. Follow us on Instagram at SensoryTribe, that’s where we put most of our stuff.
