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TOMAS DONCKER JOINS FORCES WITH FUN LOVIN' CRIMINALS' FRANK BENBINI ON NEW SINGLE 'WHA-GWAAN!'
NYC-based alternative-R&B producer, singer, songwriter and indie label CEO Tomás Doncker released his new single ‘Wha-Gwaan!’ on February 7th 2025 to his label True Groove Records, featuring guest drums and vocals from Fun Lovin’ Criminals/UB40’s Frank Benbini.
Tomás Doncker has long been a prime mover on the New York music, arts and culture scenes. From the early 1980s, as a member of groundbreaking No Wave and Punk Funk bands The Contortions and Defunkt, international touring, recording and songwriting collaborations with luminaries such as Bootsy Collins, Meshell Ndegeocello, Madonna, Ivan Neville, The Specials and the legendary Ms. Patti Smith, to helming his own band, The True Groove All-Stars, Tomás has established himself as a cross-genre innovator without peer.
Doncker’s previous works have seen praise from the likes of BBC, CNN, Huff Post, MOJO, Spin, Brooklyn Vegan, NPR’s ‘All Songs Considered’, Guitar World, All About Jazz, Paste Magazine, Rolling Stone and Blues Matters Magazine where he was a recent main cover feature.
‘Wha-Gwaan!’ follows September’s EP ‘The AMPlified Soul Remixes’, Doncker’s most recent collaboration with the late acclaimed, grammy award winning ‘ambassador of funk’ Amp Fiddler, renowned for his performances with the likes of Prince and Seal.
The track serves as a wake up call to the increasing levels of social and racial injustice and the lack of acknowledgement of it.
On Wha-Gwaan!’s subject matter, Doncker says, “The Legendary Nigerian Godfather of Afro Beat, Fela Ransome Kuti once said: ‘Music is the weapon of the future’. Well… The future is most definitely NOW! ‘Wah Gwaan’ is a Jamaican Patois greeting that means ‘what’s going on?’ or ‘what’s up?’. The lyric is a modern day riff on Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘What’s Going On’. Through an Afro Beat/Funk-Rebel music lens. It was designed to be a wake up call response to the seemingly increasing presence of social injustice in the world today. The hypnotic dub-funk groove is brought to the boiling point by the legendary Frank Benbini (Fun Lovin’ Criminals/UB40/Uncle Frank), who I’m thrilled makes a guest appearance on drums and hype vocals.”
Doncker is fast becoming a mainstay in venues throughout the UK and was recently invited to support KillerStar at their upcoming two night stint at London’s The 100 Club, a band which features an array of David Bowie’s most trusted musical collaborators.
Tomás Doncker has long been a prime mover on the New York music, arts and culture scenes. From the early 1980s, as a member of groundbreaking No Wave and Punk Funk bands The Contortions and Defunkt, international touring, recording and songwriting collaborations with luminaries such as Bootsy Collins, Meshell Ndegeocello, Madonna, Ivan Neville, The Specials and the legendary Ms. Patti Smith, to helming his own band, The True Groove All-Stars, Tomás has established himself as a cross-genre innovator without peer.
Doncker’s previous works have seen praise from the likes of BBC, CNN, Huff Post, MOJO, Spin, Brooklyn Vegan, NPR’s ‘All Songs Considered’, Guitar World, All About Jazz, Paste Magazine, Rolling Stone and Blues Matters Magazine where he was a recent main cover feature.
‘Wha-Gwaan!’ follows September’s EP ‘The AMPlified Soul Remixes’, Doncker’s most recent collaboration with the late acclaimed, grammy award winning ‘ambassador of funk’ Amp Fiddler, renowned for his performances with the likes of Prince and Seal.
The track serves as a wake up call to the increasing levels of social and racial injustice and the lack of acknowledgement of it.
On Wha-Gwaan!’s subject matter, Doncker says, “The Legendary Nigerian Godfather of Afro Beat, Fela Ransome Kuti once said: ‘Music is the weapon of the future’. Well… The future is most definitely NOW! ‘Wah Gwaan’ is a Jamaican Patois greeting that means ‘what’s going on?’ or ‘what’s up?’. The lyric is a modern day riff on Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘What’s Going On’. Through an Afro Beat/Funk-Rebel music lens. It was designed to be a wake up call response to the seemingly increasing presence of social injustice in the world today. The hypnotic dub-funk groove is brought to the boiling point by the legendary Frank Benbini (Fun Lovin’ Criminals/UB40/Uncle Frank), who I’m thrilled makes a guest appearance on drums and hype vocals.”
Doncker is fast becoming a mainstay in venues throughout the UK and was recently invited to support KillerStar at their upcoming two night stint at London’s The 100 Club, a band which features an array of David Bowie’s most trusted musical collaborators.
LIVE DATES:
March 7th 2025 - The 100 Club, London (Supporting KillerStar)
March 8th 2025 - The 100 Club, London (Supporting KillerStar)
July 27th 2025 - High Tide Festival, Twickenham
March 7th 2025 - The 100 Club, London (Supporting KillerStar)
March 8th 2025 - The 100 Club, London (Supporting KillerStar)
July 27th 2025 - High Tide Festival, Twickenham