about

     Dan Bailey Tribe presents soul funk reggae inspired by the wanderlust of an endless summer. A native of New York’s infamous Hamptons, Bailey’s South African roots and his command of the West African djembe channel a vibration of celebration. 

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     Bailey grew up in a loving family of starving artists, living in harsh contrast to the extravagant wealth of the surrounding Hamptons.  As a boy, he taught himself guitar and received the gift of rhythm from his godfather Babatunde Olatunji, world-renowned Master Drummer and cultural ambassador.  Bailey studied Olatunji’s unique method of teaching West African djembe and by the age of 13, was hosting his own drumming workshops and performing for African dance classes.  The positive influence of music at a young age saved Bailey from a potentially dark path of drug abuse and delinquency that trapped many of his childhood friends.  Instead, he channeled his creative energy into rhythm, guitar and songwriting.  He had already written over 200 songs when he decided to embark on an around the world journey at the age of 19.

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     On his year long walkabout, Bailey gained a lifetime of experience that continues to fuel his songwriting today.  He surfed the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii, worked on an organic farm in New Zealand and carved his own didgeridoo in Australia.  He taught drum workshops in South Africa, travelled overland from Cape Town to Kenya, and studied with master drummers in Ghana.  He sang on the news in London, drummed at a peace rally in Madrid and made the pilgrimage to Bob Marley’s home in Jamaica.  He also drove a converted truck from New York to El Salvador, living a nomadic life of writing music and surfing.