Features

Summer Stars: Souls Rebels Brass Band

Soul Rebels Brass Band offers New Orleans tradition with a twist. The group began in the late 1980s as the Young Olympia Brass Band, serving an apprenticeship of sorts to Harold Dejean and his longstanding Olympia Brass Band, and focusing on jazz staples such as “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

However, the group was made up of musicians who also grew up on hip-hop and heavy R&B, so it began incorporating these sounds into its sets alongside standards. It soon found an active supporter in Cyril Neville, who dubbed it the Soul Rebels, reflecting its efforts to challenge and expand on the New Orleans brass band heritage.

In the two decades since Neville christened the group, the Soul Rebels Brass Band has become a steady presence on the international festival circuit. Beyond Bonnaroo, its members have traveled the globe, serving as cultural ambassadors from the Crescent City, honoring the past while remaining current as well.

President of the group and snare drummer Lumar LeBlanc acknowledges, “It’s a bit of tightrope because individuals conceive of a brass band in one particular setting. But when we play original hip-hop, R&B, Latin and jazz songs, it’s really a part of who we are. It received some criticism early on but we only can give you what’s inside of us, so we accept the challenge.”

Appearing at: Western Maryland Blues Festival, The Great American Brass Band Festival, Essence Festival, Hoop City Jazz & Art Festival and more.