The Sammy Award winning band, “Brownskin has been around "since 2010", , Nate Brown the band's drummer and leader. “Since then, like a lot of things”, he said, “we have evolved. Back then an early working version of the band consisted of Joe Cummings, Jonathan Dale, Gary Carter and me.”
The current line-up is much larger than it was in the past. Brownskin is now an eight (8) piece band. They are vocalists, Tamar Smithers and Jamel Lorick; keyboardists, Sam Wynn and Ekwan Brooks, guitarist, Richie Melito, bassist, Don Martin, saxophonist, Sam Kininger; and of course Nate Brown.
Nate said the band’s name, Brownskin, just came to him. “I had been trying to think of a creative way to use my name in the band’s name. Then I thought hmm, my last name is Brown and I play the drums which are sometimes called ‘skins’ so why not put them together, Brownskin. That’s how the name was born.”
It kind of stuck for them too. Many people who new them back in their early years may have thought that the name was created because all of the players were African Americans. But according to Nate Brown, that wasn’t the case as you can see.
The band’s current line-up is racially diverse. It is something that appeals widely in today’s society. Nate and his band-mates are very in tune with that. Their diversity has brought a new element to that band’s sound too. Nate wants to preserve that sound so they are working on some originals and hopes to record them soon.