Young, vibrant and full of talent! Just a few words to describe the band Dynamix.
Even if you’re not familiar with the group, the band members’ names will surely ring some bells. They include Rashaad Joseph (saxophone), Gershom Gerson (bass), Dwight Florent (guitar), Dylan Thomas (drums) and Danyl Daniel (keyboard). Coupled with their manager, Sydwina Desmangles, these musical maestros have been wowing audiences with their dynamic sounds in St. Lucia and beyond.
Dazzle had the pleasure of interviewing the members of the band in an effort to gain some insight into their fascinating world of melody, as well as their origin and their accomplishments, and the bond they all share.
“It started back in Form 5,” said Dwight. “We all (excluding Danyl) kind of met at the Black Ants Jazz Band, near the Saint Lucia School of Music and from there we decided to form the band Dynamix. But we knew each other well enough prior to that. Later on, we expanded on it by adding Danyl.”
Originally a group of four, the band decided to bring Danyl Daniel on board as their keyboardist at the beginning of 2017. Danyl, who also works with Ronald ‘Boo’ Hinkson, described being part of the band as an enjoyable and fun-filled experience.
“What I like most about being in a band is that each member brings their own personality and skill set, and so it gives me the opportunity to express myself, my personality and my instrument,” said Danyl. Although he is the oldest member (age 30), he has a great sense of humour and appears to be just as jovial as his bandmates.
Over the years, the band has performed at events such as the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival and the Soleil Roots and Soul Festival. They have also done gigs at hotels and on cruise ships, including The Pearl. They don’t limit themselves to any one music genre. Their repertoire includes local, regional and international selections.
“I would say that Dynamix is different from other bands, because for one, we don’t have a headline singer,” guitarist, Dwight Florent explained. “If you noticed, we have a saxophonist (Rashaad) as the lead front man, so I think that alone in itself gives people a different air towards the band,” he added.
Danyl, for his part, thinks Dynamix has succeeded in distinguishing itself from other bands. “Dynamix is different from many other groups, mainly because of the age range of its members and their youthfulness. Usually, other groups who would be performing at similar events or on a similar scale as Dynamix would be much older, so that makes us unique in a sense.”
When asked about the band’s accomplishments, the group pointed to their international tour back in 2017. “There was a tour we did in the UK. That, personally, is one of my most treasured accomplishments so far,” said Gershom, the bass guitarist. “To reach that point where you can travel to play music, that’s our main accomplishment so far.” The tour took place in June that year. Dynamix performed at several venues, including North Yorkshire and Hull.
Although it has been a long journey for the band, the members said, so far, they have not faced too many challenges. Rashaad explained, “It’s more about getting together and going to rehearsals, as all of us have our own schedules. All of us are doing our own thing.”
Danyl added, “I would say every musician is busy with several other groups. Individually, we are part of other groups as well, so that would be our main challenge.”
With such a diverse group of personalities we were curious to know how the band balances the individual strengths and weaknesses of the members.
“I think it’s just a matter of understanding each other and that’s the way we work around it.” said Dwight.
Danyl feels the band members’ mutual respect for each other also helps keep them together.
“Within Dynamix, you have a situation where everybody has a natural respect for everybody. We have varied personalities but there’s still that innate respect, so no one takes anything personally. We joke a lot, we play a lot, but you know, it’s all a very light atmosphere most times.”
Another interesting topic discussed was the band’s future. Given the youthfulness of the members, the question of their future as a group came up. They believe that travelling overseas to perform is inevitable in order to further their individual growth, and their careers as professional musicians.
“As the band leader, I can say that the future of the band is kind of blurry,” Dwight said, “For me, I will be moving to the US soon. That’s the plan, and obviously each member has has their own plans.”
Nevertheless, the group remains unfazed by the seeming uncertainty that lies ahead.
“For sure, the brotherhood, the chemistry cannot be lost,” says Dwight. “So, whether travelling is something that we will have to do during the next 10 or 20 years…we know that we will come back together to do something, whatever is called for at the time.”
Dwight’s colleagues share his sentiments. Gershom said, “Something is there, something will always be there.”
Drummer, Dylan Thomas concurred. “Dynamix is more than a band, it’s a family,” he added.
We wish Dynamix all the best in their future endeavours, both individually and as a band.
