“Diversity” is a word that gets bandied around often these days, but few musicians have lived that term as fully as Shaman Juan.
The Wisconsin-bred rocker was the first Caucasian rock ‘n’ roll act signed to the legendary Motown Records in the early 1970s. With his band, The Messengers, he amassed a both local and international acclaim at an early age; following that trek up by founding his own recording studio and embarking on a successful career writing music for film, television, and radio.
After taking off 30 years from band life in order to work with other artists in various capacities (he’s collaborated with everyone from the Saturday Night Live cast to Guns N’ Roses) Shaman Juan is now celebrating a full 50 years in music craftsmanship by going back to his roots – releasing a brand-new album, Soothsayer, on June 3.
(To sample “Love Will Find a Way” from Soothsayer, please click here)
Soothsayer features drumming from the legendary Clyde Stubblefield, who set the standard for funk beats during his work with James Brown. Fans can expect to find that same familiar/infectious funkiness flowing throughout Shaman Juan’s new set, which he himself describes as “soulful, danceable,” and—of course—“shamanistic.”
Juan’s grooving tunes—supported not only by Stubblefield, but also a full band and rotating case of special guests—are designed simply “to change the world,” he explains, adding that his album is “packed full of mysterious ideas, secret meanings, and hidden messages.”
“I think as we continue to grow as a band, ideas and diversity will continue to leak out in the music, it’s inevitable,” Juan notes. “However, we had a lot of confidence in the material right out of the starting gate. It may have taken a while for that starting gate to swing open, but in our eyes it was worth the wait.”
Anchoring the collection is an overall theme of love and personal development; something the artist himself has demonstrated over his remarkable —and, yes, diverse —career.
Once the word gets out, Soothsayer certainly won’t be a secret anymore.
For more information, please visit www.shamanjuan.com
