Steve Hoffman is currently a Guest Artist with  Red Di on Keyboards. Band members first met Steve and jammed with him in the Summer of 1997 and his mellow vibe, fun personality, and classic but original Keyboard style fit right in with the group. Steve has a long Reggae resume, which includes playing with the award winning Reggae band Inka Inka of the San Francisco Bay Area. We asked Steve to tell us more about himself:

Q. Where are you from geographically - where are your roots?

A. I'm from Los Angeles, CA - lived in San Diego for about 9 years, and Lake Tahoe for a year to play music, but wound up having to moonlight as a chef in an Italian restaurant and have lived here in Northern CA for about four years.

Q. How long have you played music and what other types of music have you played if other than Reggae?

A. I began playing classical piano when I was about five, taking lessons for about eight years until I hit puberty and broke my right arm (though I haven't figured out if these two events are related). I then began playing songs I heard on the radio - Pink Floyd, Randy Newman, Supertramp (that might give my age away), and other pop-ish stuff. I also found a great love and respect for Ragtime, which made for an easy transition later on to Reggae. If you listen to the beat that the left hand keeps in Ragtime, you'll notice that it is nearly identical, though about twice as complex, as the skank in Reggae keyboard playing.

Q. Do you just play Keyboards, or can you play other instruments? And what draws you to the Keys?

A. I love playing Bass and Drums when nobody is looking/listening, and noodle with Guitar a bit. I'm currently learning to play the Carillon - it's a keyboard instrument that you play with your fists instead of your fingers, triggering these big bells. The tower at UC Berkeley - that's a Carillon. I hope to start playing the big bells in the next few weeks.

Q. Do you write and compose as well?

A. I do quite a bit of writing and composing. Lately I've been doing these short little jingles/sound effects/segues for commercial radio, and I'd eventually love to break into film scoring.

Q. What inspired you to play music, and specifically Reggae?

A. Playing music was always my form of release. I never dreamed of trying to make a career out of it. I was dead-set on being a doctor when I was growing up. Imagine my parents' surprise when I called one day to say, "I've decided not to be a doctor anymore; instead, I'm gonna play music..." I got into Reggae accidentally. I had a roommate who listened to it all the time and had his own band that practiced at our house. They noticed the piano and asked me if I'd sit in with them. I'd never played with other musicians before, but I loved it, and here I am.

Q. What are your thoughts about Reggae in the 90's?

A. Music is something that can bring people together. I'm always amazed at the diversity of crowds coming out to Reggae shows, as well as the types of people you see out on the dance floor. People being able to let go a little and not feel a barrier between performer and audience creates a spirit of community, and this is something that Reggae music surpasses many other styles in. Given that the message of the music itself - underneath the lyrics - is so positive, I don't think the style will ever fade. The lyrics are also a very important part of the message of Reggae, and some of the best artists are able to convey important messages on a universal level. Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, the Wailing Souls, and Mutabaruka are a few of my favorites.

Q. Can you describe how you became part of the Bay Area Reggae group Inka Inka...and talk about any other artists you've played with.

A. I had a friend point out an Ad in BAM (Bay Area Music Magazine) that Inka Inka was looking for a Keyboard player. Another band I'd played with, Citizen X had been with the same booking agency as Inka Inka, so we'd run into each other on the road a few times. I decided to drive up to San Jose to audition, and learned all of their songs before I showed up. It was by far one of the best groups I ever played with. There wasn't any egotistical band leader to deal with (though I've been fortunate to work with some very good band leaders as well). Instead, everyone had their role and specialty. One person would deal with finances, another would deal with booking, etc. We were like a family.

I've played with a lot of other world beat bands as well - Zulu Spear from South Africa, Sonny Okosuns from Nigeria Citizen X , Ishmael and the Peacemakers (Barbados), and spent a year in Lake Tahoe playing with two great musicians from Jamaica - Motherless, a great Reggae banjo player, and Black Skully. I also have been branching out from World Beat, and recently recorded with Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship.

Q. Have a memorable story or stories related to your tours and bus/plane trips?

A. Running out of gas in the middle of Arizona... Having the Inka Inka motorhome catch on fire... I'm going to write a book someday; a tell-all of sorts, but I promise to change the names.