News

December News

Well how fast are the years flying by? Christmas 2018 is just about here and where has it gone? Out the door that's where and fast. Those of us with busy lives are looking forward to having a holiday break to wind down - still I'm not complaining about being busy and working. It's what drives me.

We had a great show at Bistro at the Terminus at the end of November - it was packed and I thank all our regulars for coming to see us, and especially Dean and June Driver for getting a whole bunch of people to come and party. It was great for new owners Jason and Andrea to see what Oxo's at the Terminus was all about.

Rehearsals for NYE is going well and in between then and now we play a couple of Christmas shows for the elderly which we do every year - we play a wedding - a friend of a friend - and we play Dunedin Casino. So there is still a bit to do. My teaching schedule is beginning slow down a little as some of my students finish up for the year. This allows me to concentrate on my rehearsals. I'm looking forward to both shows.

It will be good to chill out in early January as I take a few weeks off. It will mean I can focus on the pictorial content of my autobiography which will now see the light of day in 2019. Can't wait.

I hope you all have a magical Christmas with family and friends and a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you for your support throughout 2018 and don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Cheers Marcel x

November News

It's been a great few weeks. We have been working hard on our NYE show on Dec 31st in Dunedin, NZ, with our 10 piece band. Coordinating rehearsals is quite a feat when everyone is so busy so we are rehearsing in batches. Some people some days and others on other days. But by showtime we'll be ready to rock 'n roll Dunedin. Looking forward to it!

I am also looking forward to playing drums for Mi-Sex in February. Have started mapping out the set list and getting a handle on all those great songs - each one a banger. In amongst all that I am enjoying my teaching as the years slowly winds down for some of my students busy with exams.

Till next time, stay well and happy and look after each other

Marcel

News Oct 29th, 2018

Here we are - November is just around the corner - then it'll be Xmas. We are gearing up for a few gigs between now and then, culminating in our New Years Eve show in the Octagon. The show features a great array of artists, with Kelvin Cummings being the main attraction. Our fabulous Oxo Cubans lineup includes: Nik Libretto on guitar and vocals, Divas Arlie McFarlie and Janine Weatherly on vocals, the excellent Bruce French on Sax, the wonderful Neville Copland on second keys, Stu McFarlane on percussion, along with Craig, Doug and myself. We also have a junior Oxo join Bruce on 2nd Sax. This will be some show so if you are in Dunedin, make sure you hit the Octagon by 10pm to see our show.

Playing with us in the Octagon is Oamaru band Dee May and the Saints - they are on 8pm to get us in the mood. See you then.

MI-SEX - am thrilled to be asked to play a one-off gig with my favourite NZ band Mi-Sex, at Bluewaters Music Festival, in Cambridge, New Zealand, Feb 2nd, 2019. Can't wait to play some of those iconic Mi-Sex songs!

AUTOBIOGRAPHY: In the meantime my autobiography is pretty much finished. Just some tidying up work to do. Looking forward to it being released sometime in the new year. Will keep you posted.

September 26th, 2018

After a quiet five or so weeks, the band is gearing up for a busy run of shows leading up to the big New Years Eve show in Dunedin' Octagon. This show features the one and only Kelvin Cummings, along with the nine piece Oxo Cubans band, rocking through to the New Year. I am really looking forward to this show. It's always a pleasure playing with such great players such as the excellent Nik Libretto on guitar, Auckland sax player Bruce French - the wonderful voices of divas Janine Weatherly and Arlie Julia and the lively Kelvin Cummings up front. It'll be a great a show, so make sure you get to the Octagon. We're on at 10pm till the midnight countdown.

August News 2018

August 27th, 2018 It's been a busy three months for me and the band, Oxo Cubans. We've played a great mix of shows, of all shapes and sizes and currently, we are in between shows and having a little break, before we head in to the latter part of the year. In early August I played with Dunedin's Big Lawn at their EP launch at the Fifty Gorillas nightclub. It was a great gig and I enjoyed sharing the stage with people, I knew but hadn't played with before. I had a great time and may do the odd gig with them again in the future. As the Big lawn is a collective, other musicians can step in. It was nice for me to step out and rock out with some different players. I am also humbled by the amount of students I have on board. I have very full timetable, with only the odd daytime slot available. I am thoroughly enjoying my teaching. It's a very rewarding career. My autobiography is finally nearing completion - I know I have been saying that for a while - but it's been a long work in progress but we are getting near the end. There will be launch details following. I will be glad when it's finally done. Then it's on to a new exciting chapter in my career. Bye now and thank you for staying with me.... take care till next time Marcel

Winter in New Zealand - June 6th

June 6th, 2018

The snow arrived today which means winter has arrived. Though it wasn't much of a snow day as such. We had snow all round the hills but that's about all. Apparently Friday will be warmer and nice and sunny again. Just the way I like it.

During April and May the band had a busy time. We played the NZ Country Music Awards last week, which was a great success. This year I was a judge in the MLT Songwriters Awards held on the same evening . It was a great experience with some great songs making the final 10. We - the Oxo Cubans - are the house band for the Songwriters and Country Music Awards and it was another successful concert in Gore at the St James Theatre. We have done some corporate shows as well and are planning our next public theatre show.

In the meantime, I am re-configuring this website - to give it a badly needed freshen up. Stay tuned.

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. Videos will be appearing online slowly.

April 18th 2018

What a busy time I have had with the Oxo Cubans. We have played some shows over the last two months which have kept us busy and now we have a few weeks to re-group, rehearse some new stuff and plan our next event. We are currently working through some concert plans and will keep you posted as soon as. I am really enjoying our work and am looking forward to a busy year. Can you believe it's April already!

MAY

We have a great show coming up at The Longford at Gore with the excellent Kelvin Cummings. This will be a great show. Kelvin is a fabulous performer and together we will have the place pumping.

As usual, The Oxo Cubans will be at the MLT Songwriters concert and APRA Tui Awards for Best Country Album and Song, also held in Gore, later that week. Really looking forward to that as it's such a great show. Get your tickets from the Longford, only $15!

March 2018

Already into March and the year is off and flying. I am having a busy time performing with the Oxo Cubans. We have had a great run of shows and it doesn't finish till the end of the month. Fro there we will be refreshing everything we do and in the coming months we will unveil a new Oxo vibe, which may include some new singers and musicians depending on the shows. It's an exciting time.

We are also planning a couple of big theatre shows which I will keep you in the loop with. We have had such success with these shows so will be something to look forward to.

WELCOME 2018 !

I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to this year, 2018! Happy New Year to you all! Last year wasn't too bad at all - I was able to build on my teaching business and the Oxo Cubans, my band, played some great shows, that were eagerly supported by our fans. Thank you so much. You can bet that this year, will be more of the same. Shows that will be unique and offer the very best in talent and performances. Stay tuned.

In 2018, I have a few things planned. Firstly, I will complete my long-awaited autobiography. It has been many years in the making. It hasn't always been easy to work on it in between my normal, busy life, but as I have made a commitment to myself to finish it, this will be the year I will see it completed. I can't wait. I have some events planned around its launch. So do look out for news on that.

If you are a drummer - or wanting to study with me then you know you can contact me anytime. My timetable is already becoming compact and it's only the beginning of the year, so I suggest you contact me earlier than later. I would hate you to miss out. I love teaching the drums and helping my students to achieve achieve their goals. Contact me at: info@marcelrodeka.com

News Update November 7th, 2017

The last three months has seen the band busier than ever. The highlight was the Oxo Au Go Go show at the Sargood Centre. I'm pleased to say that this was another great success and we thank all those of you who came and sang along with us, we had a blast. As usual we are planning something fresh and new for next year.

I have been very busy, aside from my teaching which is going great - I have been working hard trying to get my autobiography finished. This is a huge but incredibly rewarding process and I think I can see the end in sight. I'm looking to next year, July 2018, to have it completed - and hopefully published. Will keep you posted.

NEWS Aug 31st, 2017

OXO CUBANS, August 31st, 2017 It's been a busy time for the band. Since we welcomed Dunedin singer and frontman for local band Bluestone, Mr Clive Copeman, to the Oxo family at the Midge Marsden concert in June, we've started doing more shows together. This has been great for the band with Clive adding another dimension to our sound. We look forward to working with Clive at the Sail Bar in Timaru in September and at the brand new OXO Au Go Go show on October 6th, at the Sargood Centre, Dunedin. This follows our hugely successful Sgt Peppers 50th Anniversary show. The demand for another show made this upcoming show our next exciting show. Tickets are available from Beggs Musicworks, Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Cash or Cheque only. Last month we played a packed Nellies Bar in Mosgiel and had local singer Kelvin Cummings with us up front. Was a fun night. Kelvin has been busy promoting his debut album ' One Year' which we played on and co-produced with Kelvin. Look out for it on iTunes. On September 23rd, Election Night in NZ - The Oxo Cubans with Clive C will be at the new Terminus Cafe and Bar (formerly Filadefios). Our special guest is the brilliant, Auckland sax player Bruce French. Bruce is one of the best in the business and we're looking forward to him having blast with us. I have also been working on my autobiography and working hard to get it finished. Editing has started so I am looking at a 2018 release. I just have to find a publisher.

Videos Product

12th July, 2017

Recently, the Oxo Cubans filmed three songs live at the Port Chalmers Recording Services studio with engineer, Tom Bell. Behind the camera was well known Dunedin photographer / videographer Clive Copeman. These will be out soon and it'll be great to share the Oxo vibe online.

We also have some more good shows coming up. Our next public date is at Filadelfios, Andersons Bay on August 4th. Tables are being booked fast so get in and book if you need. Otherwise there's room at the bar to join in the fun. This gig features Bluestone singer, Clive Copeman, with us for the first time at Filies. Will be a fun night so don't miss it.

Sold out shows and standing ovations!

25th June 2017: Wow! What a brilliant few weeks we have had. Our recent concerts have been amazing and we thank everyone who came out to the shows. We had a full house at the Sgt Peppers 50th Anniversary show and a full house and three standing ovations at the Midge Marsden concert at the Mayfair Theatre. THANK YOU ALL for your ongoing support of these shows. They were an absolute pleasure to be part of. Thanks to Midge and Chet for their help in making it a success and to Phil and Simon from Otago Polytechnic at the Sargood Centre, Dunedin for their help with the Beatles show. It goes without saying that the Oxo Cubans always strive for excellence and we are always looking to up the ante when it comes to our shows. You can be assured that we are currently conjuring up something special for our next performance. Don't worry, you'll be the first to know. At the Midge Marsden show we uncovered another great Dunedin talent in Mr Clive Copeman. Clive, was invited to be one of the backing singers, along with Jules Kesha and Georgie Daniel. Clive did a great job with the team and also did a sterling job with us pre-show in the Green Room, as Craig, Doug, Clive and I did a short set of blues for the Mediaworks party - Mediaworks and The Sound radio station being a major sponsor of the the concert. We thank all our sponsors and advertisers for being on board and supporting live music with us. Thank you everyone!

Concert Tickets Available Now

The Kelvin Cummings 'ONE YEAR' album launch was a great success on Saturday night the 6th May. There was a capacity house and fans, friends and family gave Kelvin rousing support. From an Oxo Cubans point of view, I thoroughly enjoyed playing the show. We had a great group of musicians with us playing a bunch of great songs. Now onto Sgt Peppers.

TICKETING DETAILS: Show No 1:

50th Anniversary of The Beatles - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Ten Piece Oxo Cubans celebrating this great album. Sargood Centre, Logan Park, Dunedin, Friday June 2nd, 8pm. Tickets $30, at Beggs Musicworks, Lower Stuart St, Dunedin

Show No 2

NZ Blues Legend, MIDGE MARSDEN, Live with Oxo Cubans, Mayfair Theatre, Dunedin, Friday June 16th, 8pm. Tickets $40 at Beggs Musicworks, Lower Stuart St, Dunedin.

Mayfair Theatre Concerts

23/03/2017 We have two great concerts coming up - the first on May 6th features the Oxo's live playing the launch of Kelvin Cummings debut CD, ONE YEAR' followed by blues legend MIDGE MARSDEN on June 16th. Add a show to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Sgt Peppers at the Sargood Centre Dunedin and you can see we have some good stuff coming up. Stand by for ticket info

SHAPING UP TO BE A BUSY YEAR

5/03/2017

This year is shaping up to be one filled with a variety of shows which will keep me on my toes. I have just spent the weekend filling in for local band, Tempo, at a huge finale to the 2017 Goldfields Cavalcade. But coming up we have an Oxo Cubans recording and film shoot, a record launch for a local artist, a Mayfair Theatre concert, two in fact and some corporate stuff later in the year. Plus, I am also in the throes of organising a special drumming event which is due to happen within the next three months, so standby. Exciting and busy times.

This is as well as my normal teaching schedule. I recently did some marketing on the website, Treat Me, and this has introduced me to some new students which has been great. I welcome them all on board and thank them for choosing me as their drum tutor / mentor.

Margaret River Cultural Centre Concert 25th Feb 2017

It was a fantastic trip to Perth, Western Australia, last week and a pleasure to play with my former Mother Goose teammate, Noah 'The kid' Shilkin'. We spent much of the week preparing for the show at the Margaret River Cultural Centre, where the band, with Noah as Elton John, performed the whole of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, in its entirety. An enthusiastic crowd turned up and I thoroughly enjoyed playing the show. Thanks to John Goldsmith and Ric Shinnick from Kosmic Sound /The Drum Shop, Perth, for the loan of John's beautiful DW drum kit. Sounded great. Thanks also to the wonderfully gracious, Carl Burman, who allowed me to saty at his Balinese inspired, million dollar plus home. I made a new friend who looked after me so well. Thanks to Noah for asking me to be part of this special event - we hadn't seen each other or played a gig together since 1984. Thanks to the band members who were part of it and made me fee so welcome. It was a blast. Now look out for the possibility of shows on the East Coast of Australia.

Elton John's ' Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' LIVE IN PERTH

On the 24th and 25th of February, I will be performing two theatre shows in Perth with Mother Goose keyboard player and writer, Noah Shilkin and some fine Australian musicians. The first show is in Perth itself on the 24th and the 2nd show in Margaret River on Sat 25th Feb. More details as they come to hand but let me say, I''m really looking forward to playing back in a city I love and where I've not performed since 1988 with the band, Perfect Strangers. I've lived in Perth twice in the 1980's with two different bands. I'm looking forward to, firstly performing with my dear friend Noah, who is playing and singing all Elton's songs and who I've not shared a stage with since 1984, and secondly, catching up with friends and colleagues who I know in Perth.

We're performing the whole of Elton John's ' Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ' in its entirety which is a great body of work. It'll be a multi media extravaganza! I'm excited and I know we're going to have a blast. If you're in Perth, do come along and say hi. It'll be great to see you!

Follow Me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

This year I'm looking forward to helping drummers make sense of what they're learning, why they're learning it and how to bring their drumming alive. I'm planning some exciting one-off events for drummers and music lovers. Stay tuned for that.

So make sure you follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest updates on what I'm up to. My band, the Oxo Cubans are also planning a few surprises this year so am looking forward to ripping into the year head on.

If you're thinking about achieving something special this year then apply to learn the drums with me in 2017. I know you'll love it. Send me an email or PM me on Facebook and tell me where you're at.

Happy New Year to you all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. I hope 2017 is a happy healthy and successful one for you.

For me, I have some exciting new things happening on the horizon, which I’ll tell you about as we get closer to the time.

Christmas / New Year was great - spent with my awesome family. Then on Jan 1st Craig and I from the Oxo Cubans traveled to Timaru to be the rhythm section for NZ blues legend, Midge Marsden, which was a lot of fun. Great weather and two excellent shows. The full Oxo Cubans are back in Timaru this coming weekend, hired as a backing band situation. Should be fun.

This year I will be developing my online world, with more content designed for the learner drummer. This includes all my social media including, my Youtube channel and Instagram - don’t forget to follow me there - as well as Facebook.

Ok till next time, take care, keep smiling and give someone you love a hug.

Cheers

Marcel

MAKING THE MOST OF THE CHRISTMAS BREAK!

Indeed, I will be planning to do just that. It's been a busy year for me but an excellent year also, so I will be making the most of the holiday season. It has been a great year with a trip to Europe, lots of gigs, Grease - the Musical, and my teaching has been very successful. I always say I have the best students.

I would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy new year. I have lots of exciting things on the go for 2017 so I will keep you posted. Take care.

Blues, bands, and beats

13th December, 2016 A good weekend last weekend with one show for media company, Mediaworks, a long time supporter of the Oxo Cubans here in Dunedin. Also on the bill was local singer, Robyn Johnstone, who is fast developing a name for her excellent singing. This week is pretty much the last week for my teaching. Also Wed and Thurs are days set for the beginning of mixing the new Kelvin Cummings record which we are producing, along with Kelvin and engineer Tom Bell, from Port Chalmers Recording Services, formerly Chicks Hotel. This weekend we also have three shows to play then that’s it for the year, till Jan 1st with Midge Marsden, which will be a blast.

Round up

6th December, 2016

The past few weeks has been a busy time. We had a great weekend playing Timaru and Geraldine and Sunday we were in the Dunedin Santa Parade. We have been part of this for many years now. We have our own Oxo Cubans float and we always shout out to all those Dunedin musicians and singers who want to join us on the float for the parade. Always a fun time. This year I had Jackson join me - he played percussion. Thousands of people line the streets and it’s a lot of fun.

Last week I was involved with backing vocals for Kelvin Cummings debut album, which the Oxo Cubans are producing. The Oxo Cubans are also planning recording and filming an event at the same recording studio, the former Chicks Hotel in Port Chalmers. That will be in the New Year.Will keep you posted.

I also have an exciting drumming event I am planning for the new year. Can’t tell you about it yet, but once I firm up details, you’ll be the first to know! Stand by!

In the meantime, my ebook continues to get great feedback and for that I’m grateful. If you haven’t seen it - jump over to my Store and you’ll see it there. You can get it from Amazon.com for only a couple of dollars.

That’s all for now - if you see us playing around your area make sure you come and say hi.

Remember to visit my Facebook page to also keep in touch.

Right here. http://www.facebook.com/marcelrodeka

Gigs and Recording

It’s been a busy time of late. The Oxo Cubans had a great crowd at Filadelfios last Friday, where one of my students, Hannah, came and joined us for two songs for her first time ever. She totally nailed it - did a brilliant job and I was very proud of her.

On Sunday we spent the day in the studio tracking guitars, banjo and dobro with the superb, Phil Doublet, from Christchurch for the new Kelvin Cummings album. I have done some shows with Phil over the years and have always loved his playing. He is one talented, creative player and I believe he also has a co-write on the album. The Oxo Cubans were not only the players on the album but are also producing it. The end result will be a very strong album that Kelvin can be proud of and be able to shop around the record labels and management companies.

GIVE IT! Blog
My first eBook continues to get excellent feedback back from those that have read it which is really humbling. It’s available for only a couple of dollars from Amazon.com and for me is all about getting the word out there.

eBook Well Received

I am humbled by the feedback I have had from those that have read my new eBook. It's been called , motivational, encouraging and inspirational and that is precisely what I hoped would be the reaction. It's available on Amazon.com for only a couple of dollars and if you manage to grab a copy I hope you enjoy it. And if you like it perhaps you could write a quick review on Amazon as well. I would be very grateful. Thank you.

GIVE IT! How to Bring Your Drumming to Life' - New eBook now available at Amazon.

My new ebook, GIVE IT! 'How to Bring Your Drumming To Life' is available now from Amazon.com. The link to Amazon is also available from my website on the'GIVE IT! Store' page. I have lots more books, blogs etc coming on stream soon so if you would like to kept up to date with these please email me at: info@marcelrodeka.com. If you like what you read, I would appreciate it if you would write a short review of it for me on Amazon. You can also email me your thoughts and comments anytime. Thanks so much.

Cheers, Marcel

Debut Album For Dunedin's Gold Guitar winner, Kelvin Cummings

Last Thursday and Friday, Sept 28th and 29th, The Oxo Cubans trio, Craig, Doug and myself were delighted to be the session musicians for the debut album by Dunedin's rising star, Kelvin Cummings. Kelvin has been a regular face around the Dunedin for many years but has recently come into his own as a singer songwriter, recently winning the 2015 Gold Guitars and also awards in January, in Tamworth Australia.

The album was recorded at the former Chicks Hotel, in Port Chalmers, now called, Port Charlmers Recording Services, under the watchful eye of excellent studio engineer, Tom Bell. We had a wonderful time tracking the original songs for Kelvin's album and we wish him all the luck in the world with it.

GIVE IT! 'How to Bring Your Drumming To Life' NEW eBOOK!

14/09/2016

Next week sees the launch of my first eBook called: GIVE IT! 'How to Bring Your Drumming To Life'. It will be available online through Kindle/Amazon and from my website. Watch out too for my new Blog coming up on my site soon. Here I will invite comments and feedback and will be concerned with all things drumming especially GIVE IT! and everything associated with it.

I'm excited to build on my private teaching business and share my knowledge, skills and experience with my online readers and drum students. I hope you'll stay tuned and spread the word! Thanks so much.

First eBook To Be Released Very Soon!

Sept 5th 2016 I'm delighted to report that very soon I will be releasing my first eBook. As a drum educator, I love teaching, sharing my knowledge, skills and expertise in helping others improve their drumming, no matter their level. As I see it, all new drummers are hungry for knowledge, advice and help and anything I can do to help them achieve their goals and dreams and turn them into more complete players, is what drives me. The eBook is not a 'learn to play drums' book but it is full of valuable insights on "how to bring your drumming to life". It's different to much of the everyday drum training material out there in that it looks at the other aspects of playing drums and being the drummer, other than just the technical skills and drills we need. I hope it inspires my readers to a fulfilling musical journey. If you'd like to be kept up to speed with the release date, drop me an email at: info@marcelrodeka.com and I'll make sure you're kept up to date.

Back to Work!

Sept 5th 2016.....I was fortunate enough to be able to recently have five weeks off to visit family in Europe and enjoy a well earned holiday. Lynn and I traveled to Holland, Italy, France, England and Japan. We had a fabulous time. But now it's back to work, which for me is teaching and playing shows. I am extremely fortunate and grateful to be able to work at what I love. If you or someone you know is keen to spread their wings and develop new musical skills then do let me know. Just email me anytime for more info:

Play with the Band - a workshop

On Tuesday July 2nd, Dunedin guitarist David Harrison, a member of the Oxo Cubans family, along with Oxo's Craig Reeves, Marcel Rodeka and Doug Wright will be conducting a workshop /seminar called ' Play with The Band', an interactive workshop targeting high school instrumentalists and vocal students, with the focus being on working with the band members on live performance. Will be an inspiring session. for music students.

When: Tuesday 5th July
Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm/9pm
Where: The Mary Hopewell Theatre
Fee: $20
Applications to: music@otago.ac.nz or (03) 479 8885

Oxo Cubans live at Fanfare!

The Oxo Cubans are delighted to be part of the Taieri Musical and DKCM production of Grease, The Arena Spectacular, opening in the More FM Arena, Dunedin, on July 21st – July 23rd 2016. It’s going to be a huge stage production and with a nine piece band, we will be rocking all those classic Grease songs.

Tickets are selling fast, so visit the website for info and tickets: www.grease-arena.co.nz/the-show

MARCEL RODEKA

Drummer, Educator, Inspirational Mentor