The Homeless

Written by Daniel Stad

The Homeless takes influences of blues, funk, soul and R&B and creates a show which respects the tradition of the blues while pushing its limits to create a fresh, unique sound.

"Mr J", The Frontman of this young & talented group of musicians, and Vivian V. his wife, honed their skills in their native Mexico, Music was always a very important part of their lives given that both of their parents were professional musicians. The band began to combine their early musical influences (Chicago soul, blues classics, Motown) with Mr. J’s gift for songwriting and arrangement and Viv's strong passion for singing. Formed originally as "Blue ANIMA", the band cut their professional teeth in important venues such as the Mexico National Museum, the Zacatecas International Jazz & Blues Festival, the Mexico City International Festival, as well as frequent TV appearances on TV Azteca, TV 34, Channel 22 and TV 40.

Not to content to rest upon their earlier recordings, the band recorded their first album on Blue ANIMA Records – “We all Got the Blues” - after their move to Toronto in 2006. The band adopted a new name “The Homeless” Because that's the way they felt in their souls after leaving home to follow their dreams, and then began to book live gigs now with a new drummer and bassist.

Their live act blends original work with music of such artists as Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, & Carlos Santana. Their sound has been compared to artists as diverse as Tower of Power, Eric Clapton & The Band. With the release of their new album “We all Got the Blues”, the band has proven that they are more than adept at creating their own original material while continuing to tease audiences with their own renditions of great blues & soul standards.

Lately The Homeless have performed at the best blues places inside and outside the city, They have demonstrated that there isn't a too-big-stage for them with their recent performance at Dundas Square where they got a crowd of hundreds of people dancing at the rythm of Black Magic Woman by Carlos Santana.