Monsorate Brothers are the sons of Ace Trumpeter Peter Monsorate, a very well-known name in the 1940s and 50s, late Peter performed with leading names like Ken Mac, Hal Green, Teddy Weathfort, Flavian D’costa and others during those early days. He eventually came to be fondly known as the “Harry James of India”. He was self thought like the early Negro Jazz Musicians in New Orleans.
Interestingly, all the Seven Sons have taken up the same professions:
Joseph – Trumpet
Ronnie – Piano
Bosco – Trumpet
Rex – Drums
Blasco – Trombone
Octavious – Sax, Clarinet and Flute
Clareto – Guitar
Unfortunately Octavious & Clareto are overseas and not too involved with music at the present time.
The Monsorate Brothers have always been a part of many Jazz events happening around the music circuits. In 1978 at the first Jazz Yatra that held in Bombay, Joseph and Bosco were part of the Big Band formed by Trumpeter Clark Terry from U.S.A.
Ronnie has played with Maynard Fergusson (Trumpeter) from USA, Ryao Kyao (Saxophonist) from Portugal, Yukka Kun (Guitarist) from Finland, for Jazz India.
The Monsorate Brothers played for the Foot Tapper Big Band at Jazz Yatra and also performed at the Macau Jazz Festival.
Although all five Brothers are well recognized musicians on the Jazz circuit, like many of their predecessors and contemporaries, they have also joined the Film Music Barracks and performed with the likes of Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, R.D Burman, Bappi Lahari, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Illayaraja, A.R Rehman, Adnan Sami, Himesh etc & toured the world in many live concerts.
Now, the Band has regrouped together after 27 years, promising a slice of Indian Jazz history in their expression of music as they take you down memory lane to help kill that nostalgia that many have miss out on.
The Brothers have recently performed in Amsterdam for the "Amersfoot Jazz Festival" in May 2011.
