Soul Predators
Today Victor plays at fine jazz and blues venues across Sydney solo or joining 2 of his sons playing as the Martinez trio.
Victor was born in Santiago Chile in 1947 studying under German Acevedo. In 1966 he continued study under Eulogio Davalos at which time he gave his first complete solo concert. Victor presided as president of the Chilean Classical Guitar society and performed extensive tours of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil from 1966-1989.
In 1989 Victor moved his family to Australia & in 2008 he performed 26 concerts in Japan.
Victor has played with and opened for some of the other great names in music including Santana, Gypsy Kings, Ozomatli, Michael Franti (Spearhead), Thirty Odd Foot Of Grunts Band ( Russell Crowe), Amici, Buena Vista Social Club, Anthony Callea , Richard Clapton, The Beach Boys, Lulo, Blind Boys of Alabama, Human Nature, Machine gun Fellatio, Brian Ferry, Jackson Brown, Jenny Morris, George Benson, Bic Runga, Mental as anything , Wendy Mathews, Jimmy Barnes, Diesel, Deni Hines, Guy Sebastian. Trombone Shortie, Taj Mahal, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, Prinnie Stevens, Joan Armatrading.
With his sons Andro and Dauno Victor has performed at the Sydney Opera House, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, TV 9, Carnivale, Sydney Town Hall, Parliament House, Seymour Centre, the 2000 Olympic & Paralympic Games , The Basement, Star City, etc.
Nobody puts music, comedy and storytelling together like Luke Escombe. Taking the madness of the modern world and setting it to a soundtrack of impossibly catchy tunes that leap confidently between different styles and genres, Luke blends the musical spirit of the old folk and blues singers with the lyrical sharpness and verbal dexterity of rappers and comedians.
Over the last ten years Luke's career has taken him from blues guitarist to stand-up comedian to globally renowned keynote speaker and internationally award-winning songwriter. Venues and festivals he's played at include The Sydney Opera House, City Recital Hall, Woodford, Splendour in the Grass, Melbourne Comedy Festival and The Edinburgh Fringe. He's also performed three times at Parliament House in Canberra and at events in New York, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vienna, London, Chicago and Miami.
Last year, Luke signed with ABC Music to release the latest album by his children's band The Vegetable Plot, and started a job as a teaching artist with the Sydney Opera House, writing songs with school children in Southwest Sydney. A true original, Luke is the proud owner of "Sydney's sexiest man voice" (a title he won in a phone poll on a popular radio station) and the creator of acclaimed ABC Radio series "Rock and Roll Dad", as well as the co-writer and MC of a number of successful musical theatre shows, including "Man of Constant Sorrow - A tribute to the music of O Brother Where Art Thou".
Joining Luke onstage for his return to The Fig are bassist Nick Hoorweg and percussionist Jess Ciampa, two highly dexterous musicians and singers who are able to follow Luke's songs and stories wherever they lead. Whatever the destination this time, you can be sure of a thought-provoking, hilarious, moving and thoroughly entertaining journey.
The band is formed from eight like minded Sydney musicians, striving to consummate a unique and entertaining experience.
With a three piece rhythm section, fat horns, and fronted by two amazing vocalists, The Soul Predators have the versatility to explore the music to its fullest.
The Soul Predators are determined to bring high quality, accessible music back to the public consciousness. Inspired by the musical innovators of the 60s and 70s such as Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Earth Wind and Fire, the band is also influenced by today's like-minded artists such as Jamiroquai, John Legend and The Roots.
The band creates a sound that is unique through the use of both original arrangements and original repertoire. The Soul Predators aim to reacquaint audiences with the art of funk, soul and R'n'B.