Formed in 2003, Melbourne Ska Orchestra is led by Nicky Bomba, formerly of the John Butler Trio.
Featuring up to 26 musicians, the band is an orchestra with a difference. The musicians play ska, a music genre that originated in Jamaica, combining elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues.
The band secured its first ARIA award in 2016, and then set themselves a challenge to release a song every week for an entire year. The resulting 52 songs compiled into the album One Year of Ska earned the band a second ARIA award in 2019.
Melbourne Ska Orchestra will headline the festival’s popular Benalla by the Lake event at 7.30pm on Saturday. The official opening of Benalla by the Lake kicks off at 5pm as the Battle of the Bands winners Winnie Marsh and Dawns Reverie perform on stage.
This will be followed by a family-friendly circus show, a performance from garage rock duo The Ivy Walkers at 6.15pm, with Melbourne Ska Orchestra taking centre stage at 7.30pm, entertaining festival-goers in the lead-up to the fireworks display at around 9pm, when DJ Frenchie will blend beats until the close of the festival at 9.30pm.
The event this year will also feature a Chill Out Zone presented by the Benalla and District Social Inclusion Action Group.
Benalla by the Lake is part of the line-up of free or low-cost experiences that locals and visitors can enjoy as part of the festival, which runs until November 10.
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