Mr.Kowalsky has been invited to participate in the British compilation called: Sank up the 80’s which compiles 80’s hits in SKA and REGGAE versions.

Mr.Kowalsky did the version of Don Henley’s original “Boys of Summer” released in 1984, Mr.K went to studios in Los Angeles California and Paris France to record this version.

Listen to it here:
https://thespecializedproject.bandcamp.com/track/mr-kowalsky-boys-of-summer

In this compilation you can also listen to other bands such as: The Slackers, Bim Skala Bim, King Django, Ricky rocksteady among others.

The digital version is available only on Bandcamp:

https://thespecializedproject.bandcamp.com/album/skank-up-the-80s

There is also a physical version with 4 CDS that can be shipped anywhere in the world:

https://specializedproject.com/product/skank-up-the-80s/

Part of the proceeds of the project will be donated to charities.

 

Alright MON, LISTEN! Summer is coming…
HOT & SWEATY, it’s sunny outside,
this is my favorite season of the year
Live it up, with your buddy Mr. Kowalsky

“Hot and Sweaty This is a song that I wrote thinking about the summer, it is the song that will put us in the mood to wait for the sunny and hot days where we all get to sweat. I have played this tune live in many concerts and I have seen the positive reaction of the people, that’s why I decided to record it in the studio. Released the first day of spring, it will have a DUB version as well and a music video that will be released a few weeks after the release of the song… I hope that you enjoy my new tune!IRIE“— MR.K

Mr. KOWALSKY presents:
Hot and Sweaty

Hot & Sweaty
credits

Mr.Kowalsky – Lead vocals, Guitars & Ukuleles

Featuring:

Steve Foote: Bass
Alex Brander: Drums
Matt Appleton: Saxophone,Trumpet,Trombone
Matt Jenson: Keyboards & Organ

Produced by Mr.Kowalsky

Recorded between June 2023 to December 2023

Engineered by:

Matt Appleton at The Station Studio, Norwich, Vermont, US

Gael Fauchie at HIT MIX Studio, Paris, France

Mixed by:
Stephen S. Foote at Fork in Hand Studio, Boston MA

Master by:
Paul Miner at Buzzbomb Sound Labs, Orange CA

Music & Lyrics by Mr. Kowalsky

Hot and Sweaty is available now on all platforms.

Let’s go on tour baby ! See you guys on the road.

Bringing the noise to your Nation.

France & Germany 
June, July, August 2022

 

Mr. Kowalsky

& Los Gallo Pinto Super Stars 

Presents:

Summer Reggae party

24/06 | LA CHOPE | RENNES,FR
25/06 | PRIVATE PARTY | RENNES,FR
01/07 | FREI | GENGENBACH,DE
02/07 | LAKE OF RIDDIMS FESTIVAL | OFFENBURG,DE
03/07 | STRANDBAR AM ACHERNSEE | ACHERN,DE
19/08 | CHATEAU DE LA BORDE | USSEL,FR
20/08 | EDEN LAKE | ÉGLETONS,FR
21/08 | LE MAURY | LIGINIAC,FR

All the info here:
https://mrkowalsky.com/tour/

 

 

 

 

This was a challenging project, when my sister Natasha Cerdas Serrano asked me to illustrate her children’s book I said yes without thinking about the enormous amount of work it takes to create characters and illustrate a 20 page book.

However I feel rewarded for stepping out of my comfort zone and being part of this wonderful project, I had a lot of fun illustrating this book and I can’t wait to illustrate the next one.

I am also composing the music for this book, the first single will be out soon.

The book has a print version in Spanish and digital books in English and French, check out our Etsy store for more information 👇

etsy.com/shop/PigsEditions

 

 

 

Escrito por Mr. Kowalsky

Qué placer fue para mi leer el libro del Rock Fest. Es más, que bueno que se hiciera un libro del festival que considero marca el curso de la escena del rock en Costa Rica de finales de los noventa y principios del 2000 y de la cual fui participe con mi grupo de entonces 13 Millas de Libertad.

Hace poco, hablando con Ernesto (productor del RockFest y coautor del libro), me dijo: “vamos de vuelta con el Rock Fest”. Primero me sorprendió y segundo le dije: “Mae para que te metes en ese enredo otra vez?”. No me había ni contestado cuando sabía su respuesta: la pasión mueve montañas, es más grande que la razón, te hace vivir nuevamente esos momentos que alguna vez nos hicieron felices, y eso lo entiendo perfectamente. Pues a darle con todo entonces, le dije! 

Este libro me transportó a una escena del ROCK en Costa Rica muy anterior a la que participé. Me encantó el capítulo de la escena de los 1960’s nombrando a grupos de los cuales hasta mis padres me hablaron alguna vez. Leyendo más, me adentré en los años precedentes a los primeros rockfest y con emoción me metí en cada página conociendo un poco más de los grupos de la época de los cuales conocía los nombres y un poco de su música aunque con algunos compartí tarima unos años después.

Qué angustia leer los pasajes del libro donde las cosas se ponían difíciles para llevar a cabo el festival. Por experiencia propia, sé que organizar eventos en Costa Rica es una tarea titánica y me identifico con el coautor porque pasé por problemas similares a los que él enfrentó para organizar mis conciertos, hoy son solo anécdotas de una travesía en la cual uno se hundía en un pozo sin fondo.

Y eso que yo tenía al menos la motivación de tocar en los conciertos que organizaba pero el coautor del libro que no tiene banda ni es músico: ¿Qué motivación más que el amor por la música nacional puede tener? Definitivamente, no es negocio en el cual se gane del todo allá por aquellas tierras tropicales de las cuales vengo… mi respuesta la sigo encontrando en la  pasión y mística de la cual este libro está lleno… y que sin estos elementos, ninguno de los festivales hubiera sido posible.

Por último, el regreso del Rock Fest me parece necesario para la escena musical en Costa Rica. Para los músicos, da la posibilidad de tocar en uno de los mejores venues en el país, que es muy difícil que se dé a menos que seas telonero de una banda internacional. Para el público en general, es una muy buena oportunidad de ver en estos escenarios de punta a las bandas locales y ser parte de toda la experiencia del festival.

Si estas en Costa Rica el próximo 14 de Mayo del 2022, no te pierdas este maravilloso festival!

Y por supuesto te invito a leer el libro del Rock Fest, viaje con los autores unas décadas atrás y conozca cómo se gestó y se llevó a cabo este festival que tanto marcó la escena musical costarricense.

Larga vida al ROCK FEST ! … y mis mejores deseos para esta próxima edición del festival.


Rock Fest
Desde el asiento del conductor

Autores: Fo León & Ernesto Aducci
Encino Ediciones
Diciembre 2021

Más info en: rf25cr.com

 

Rockin’ in XMAS time

I just want to share with you, my song at XMAS time, Christmas reggae night, It’s time to get united, I know you’re with me …

Mr. KOWALSKY presents:
Rockin’ in XMAS time

“Rockin’ in XMAS Time is a song I composed for the holidays, I wanted to share my feelings of a nice reggae Christmas eve inspired in legendarian reggae records like Natty Christmas by Jacob Miller. This song will have a music video that will be presented a few days… I hope that you enjoy my new tune!  IRIE XMAS“— MR.K

Guitars, bass, keyboards, organs, and vocals by Mr.Kowalsky
HIT MIX Studio
Paris, France

Drums by Joan Reggae Drummer
Two Flames Studio
Girona, Spain

Recorded in October & November 2021

Ingeniered by Gael Fauchie
Mixed by Steve Foote
Master by Paul Miner

Rockin’ in XMAS time is available now on all platforms.

KRISTY ROSE

Costa Rican born, Paris resident Mr. Kowalsky has catapulted onto the reggae ska scene of late, with the release of his fourth full-length Everything Nice! back in early December 2020. Since, the genre-bending musician has been promoting this solid piece of ska perfection — taking a full four years to make! Bouncing around the world, singing in multiple languages and incorporating some heavy-hitting players in the mix (Greg Lee of Hepcat, Vin Gordon of Skatalites, members of The Wailers, etc.), Mr. Kowalsky is one international name to know… so, let’s get to know him!

If you think you’ve heard ska reggae before, you’ve never heard it like this!

Top Shelf Music reached out for more details on the latest album, what sets Mr. Kowalsky apart from other musical collaborations and what’s to come. Here is what we got back.

Congrats on the new album! How does ‘Everybody Nice!’ differ from your past works?

MK: Ohhhh yeah, thanks guys, I’m very happy with my new album. I can say that in Everybody Nice!, I solidify the style of reggae that I have been looking for in the past albums… I was looking for my own style of reggae — I call it Surf Rock Reggae — that is basically a mix of early reggae and rocksteady with surf, ska and Latin accents. In my past album Surf Rock Reggae released in 2015, I started with this idea and I feel that the concept is clear in this new album.

It was recorded at studios all over the world. What was that experience like?

It was a great experience! Of course, we recorded this album before COVID, so traveling between continents and cities was easier, but challenging, as well, because I had to coordinate with the studios and [getting] session musicians in sometimes with short time, but to get things done was simpler, because every musicians involved in the recording process got the idea and also gave their personal touch to my music. The planets and stars aligned in the right moment and everything just worked out.

Your music incorporates so many elements and tends to jump genres. What are your main influences?

Yeah, that’s right. I guess that’s a Latin thing — to jump between genres — and, believe me, I have had a few issues with producers, because I even wanted to jump more between other reggae styles or rhythms, but I think we got a good balance in this new production. 

I’m in love with early reggae, rocksteady and the first wave of ska bands, like Skatalites, Toots and the Maytals, Heptones and singers like Alton Ellis, Keen Boothe, Hopeton Lewis are my main influences.

What messages are you trying to convey with the new album?

My main message in this new album is about Freedom, Peace and Unity. Most of the songs are about that subject, however some lyrics are about global warming and what we’re doing to our planet… the surf and the ocean are always somehow in my lyrics, as well. 

Also, since I moved to Paris a few years ago, I started to write lyrics in French about the nightlife here and my experience checking out and being part of a new musical scene.

What’s next for Mr. Kowalsky?

I would love to go out on tour to play this new album! I will start in Europe as soon as everything is open again. Maybe, I can play a few festivals in the summer, if the government opens up and cancels all the restrictions. Then, the idea is to play in the east coast of the US and then go down to Latin America and hopefully Jamaica, as well. All of this depends when we get out of the [COVID] situation and the music business gets back to normal. Otherwise, I will have to wait until everything is open and play more locally here in France.

I’m thinking of doing a dub version [of the] album next to be released in 2022, that will give me some time to compose and produce a new full-length! In the meantime, I will continue doing live videos of versions of my own tunes and some other reggae classics that I will be posting in my YouTube channel.

Article’s link:
https://topshelfmusicmag.com/news/meet-surf-rock-reggae-sensation-mr-kowalsky/

Par Aurore – Reggae.fr

Dur dur de s’évader en ces temps de covid…Heureusement la musique nous permet de « voyager » en toute sécurité. Aujourd’hui c’est avec le costaricien Mr. Kowalsky que l’on s’évade entre Kingston, la Californie et l’Amérique Latine avec son quatrième album Everybody Nice. Il est temps de découvrir le fruit de quatre années de travail d’écriture, de production auxquelx s’ajoute le gros défi d’enregistrements en simultané dans des studios dispersés aux quatre coins du globe ! 

Everybody Nice ce compose de 12 titres minutieusement concoctés par Mr Kowalsky et qui permettent de savourer un doux mélange entre ska, rocksteady, roots, lovers mais aussi de beaux effets rock et latino mettant en valeur la richesse du patrimoine musical du bassin caraïbe. Le morceau Tales of the Caribbean, choisi pour commencer l’album, résume parfaitement l’esprit du projet qui se veut fédérateur grâce aux paroles chantées tant en français, anglais qu’en espagnol (on notera même quelques échos d’allemand en ouverture de Rude Boys n’Girls). 

Tout au long de l’album, nous oscillons entre plusieurs styles tout en ayant le plaisir de découvrir le fruit de belles collaborations entre Mr.Kowalsky et des artistes de talent venus apporter de leur univers à l’esprit « pura vida » de notre chanteur. Avec Jack’s Hill on se laisse captiver par le puissant trombone du légendaire Vin Gordon. La Jamaïcaine Kamila Falak, invitée sur Breda Killing Breda, s’impose avec sa voix de velours tout comme Greg Lee et son timbre de voix très particulier qui vient donner de la force au très festif California to Kingston. Deux très belles surprises que l’on a grandement appréciées ! L’espagnol et l’esprit latino caribéen du dansant Palmera font aussi très bien leur travail en soulignant le côté très chaleureux, puissant, convivial et festif que l’artiste a souhaité donner à cet album. 

Dans une ambiance plus douce mais tout de même encore un peu peps, nous nous plaisons à écouter Lizzie et Unity et ses discrètes explorations rock. On retrouve davantage de douceur sur le morceau de clôture Sunset Awaits mais également dans le très intimiste Toda la Noche, une balade romantique en espagnol qui nous transporte sous le ciel étoilé d’une plage des caraïbes. 
Everybody Nice est un beau voyage musical qui apporte le soleil des caraïbes dans cette fin d’hiver délicate. Big up Mr Kowalsky !

Par Aurore

Lien vers l’article:

https://reggae.fr/lire-article/4248_Mr-Kowalsky—Everybody-Nice.html

Écrit par Reggae.fr

Vous souvenez-vous de Mr Kowalsky ? On l’avait découvert avec son clip Hossegor en 2017. Il s’agit d’un chanteur et musicien costaricien basé à Paris depuis de nombreuses années. Il chante en anglais, français et espagnol et on avait apprécié son album Surf Rock Reggae sorti en 2015. Il vient tout juste de sortir un nouveau 12 titres intitulé Everybody Nice que l’on conseille vivement. Ce 4ème album a été enregistré en studio entre Los Angeles, Boston, Paris et Kingston, avec la participation spéciale de plusieurs artistes invités : Greg Lee (Hepcat), Vin Gordon (Skatalites, Wailers, tromboniste du légendaire Studio One), la chanteuse jamaïcaine Jamila Falak et les choristes de The Doped Up Dollies de Boston. 

Avec ses notes de ska, rocksteady et même lovers rock, Everybody Nice est parfait pour se réchauffer en plein hiver, un album sucré, subtile et réussi dont on vous parlera plus amplement prochainement dans la rubrique magazine. 

En attendant, découvrez-en de bons extraits ci-dessous. Everybody Nice est dispo ici. Plus d’infos et le making of de l’album là.

Lien vers l’article:

https://reggae.fr/lire-news/18096_202012_Mr-Kowalsky—nouvel-album-Everybody-Nice.html

Costa Rican-born, Paris-based musician Mr. Kowalsky presents his fourth album: “Everybody Nice!”

PARIS, FRANCE – Set for release on December 4, 2020 is “Everybody Nice,” recorded in studios in Los Angeles, Boston, Paris, and Kingston, Jamaica, and featuring guest musicians such as Greg Lee (Hepcat), Vin Gordon (Skatalites, Wailers, Studio One session musician), Jamaica’s Jamila Falak, and Boston’s The Doped Up Dollies.

LISTEN NOW

“Everybody Nice” is the follow-up to 2015’s “Surf Rock Reggae,” sharing its ska and reggae influences, notes of rocksteady, lovers rock, and reggae roots, and its touches of surf and Latin music, while featuring an expanded creative team and even more confidence in its musical blend.  The twelve songs are in English, Spanish, and French, and are loaded with the “pura vida” motto and positive vibes Mr. Kowalsky brings with him everywhere.

Mr. Kowalsky said of the guest musicians: “I’m so thankful to all of them for giving my songs their own very special and unique feeling – Greg and his characteristic deep voice is the special hot sauce in ‘California to Kingston’; Vin and his magical trombone gave ‘Jack’s Hill’ the vintage sound of the 60’s that I was looking for; Jamila was a great surprise and with her powerful voice she is the sweet complement ‘Breda Killing Breda’ needed; and The Doped up Dollies gave just the right chorus and beautiful vocal textures to ‘Rude Boys and Girls.’  It was spectacular to work with them!”

The album took four years from first demos to completed masters and involved other creative team members from the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica to LA to Germany.

“Going to studios and coordinating with musicians in different countries was a great experience, but a logistical challenge,” said Mr. Kowalsky, “and I’m sure that without the mystical vibes and the alignment of the planets on our side, it would have never happened!  I give thanks to the amazing crew of engineers, musicians and friends who helped me realize this new album.  I’m more than happy about the resulting record and what we have achieved.” 

In 2019 and early 2020, Mr. Kowalsky released the album’s first three singles and music videos: “California to Kingston,” “Palmera,” and “Jack’s Hill.”

LISTEN NOW