Tchukon was a Canadian funk and R&B band, active from 1978 to 1990.Rhythm and blues at The Canadian Encyclopedia. Best known for winning CBC Television's 1985 music competition Rock Wars and being named Best Vocal Group in the 1986 edition of Star Search, the band ultimately released just one Juno Award-nominated album before dissolving.
Background The band consisted of singer and keyboardist Warren "Slim" Williams, singer and guitarist Kat Dyson, bassist Harold Fisher, saxophonist Ingrid Stitt and drummer Eric Roberts,"Montreal's Tchukon big winners on Star Search; Soul-funk group pockets $100,000 U.S.". Montreal Gazette, February 15, 1986. and was formed in 1978 after Williams, Dyson and Roberts all moved to Montreal, Quebec, from their original home in Norfolk, Virginia."U.S. band goes from talent contest to career - in Canada". Ottawa Citizen, October 9, 1987. In Montreal, they added Fisher, also an American immigrant, and Stitt, the band's only Canadian-born member."Some funky fusion from Tchukon". The Globe and Mail, February 4, 1982. The band took its name from a Russian language word for the point at which the physical world and the cosmic world merge.
In their early years, the band regularly performed both in Montreal and on tour, recorded the single "Plastic People" b/w "Love's Gonna Get You","Tchukon defies description". Montreal Gazette, February 7, 1985. and recorded and performed as a backing band for acts such as Louise Portal, Michel Pagliaro, Boule Noire, Freddie James, and Véronique Béliveau. Dyson was also simultaneously a performer with the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir."Gospel, blues union made in heaven". Montreal Gazette, December 9, 1985.
Rock Wars and Star Search In 1985, they competed on Rock Wars,"Polished Tchukon charms fans". Montreal Gazette, June 17, 1985. winning the competition over finalists Eye Eye, HB Concept and Peter Mann and the Lonely.Keith Sharp, Music Express: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Canada's Music Magazine. Dundurn Press, 2014. . p. 143. Their prize included and a half-hour CBC Television special, which they then submitted as their demo for the 1986 Star Search. They were named Best Vocal Group in the latter competition, winning a prize of . They were the first Canadian-based act ever to win a Star Search category."Canadian rock group wins U.S. TV contest". Toronto Star, February 18, 1986.
Their Star Search win sparked interest from record labels,"Band on the run; Things moving quickly for Tchukon after winning Star Search contest". Montreal Gazette, February 22, 1986. and the band ultimately signed with Aquarius Records."Tchukon returns home in triumph kicks off the year on winning note". Montreal Gazette, January 5, 1987.
The band garnered a Félix Award nomination as Anglophone Artist of the Year at the 1986 awards."Annual Felix music awards a boost for French Canada". The Globe and Mail, October 9, 1986.
During this era, the band was managed for several years by athlete and broadcaster Sylvia Sweeney."Sweeney's always won one-on-one". The Globe and Mail, July 29, 1995.
Album
They used their prize money from Rock Wars and Star Search to begin the process of writing and recording their first album."Tchukon throws a party; Montreal band says thanks at Spectrum". Montreal Gazette, January 2, 1987. The resulting album, Here and Now, recorded at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, was released in June 1987,"Things are really spinning on the Montreal record front". Montreal Gazette, June 11, 1987. and garnered a Juno Award nomination for Best R&B/Soul Album at the Juno Awards of 1987."6 Juno nominations for Adams". The Globe and Mail, September 15, 1987.
Breakup The band had begun recording songs for its second album"Club gigs a chance to relax for singer Kat Dyson". Montreal Gazette, January 31, 1991. when the project was put on a brief hiatus so that several members, including Dyson, could perform in Donald K. Tarlton's production of Dream of a Lifetime, a musical about the life of Marvin Gaye. This, and the various other projects in which the band members were involved, significantly impacted the band's creative momentum; while they never officially announced a breakup, the second album was never completed or released.
Williams went on to produce an album for Louise Robey, recorded the solo album Pony and took an acting role in André Forcier's film An Imaginary Tale (Une histoire inventée)."Musician finds Quebec `incredibly warm'". Montreal Gazette, March 18, 1990. In 1993, he won a Gemini Award for his work composing the score for Sweeney's television documentary film In the Key of Oscar.
Dyson went on to success as a session musician, joining Prince's band The New Power Generation before going on to perform and tour with Donny and Marie, Cyndi Lauper, Pink, Seal, George Clinton, Phoebe Snow, and Big Mama Thornton."The triumphant Montreal return of Kat Dyson, for funk legend Tchukon’s reunion concert". Montreal Gazette, February 8, 2013.
Stitt went on to become a music teacher at Burnaby North Secondary in Burnaby, British Columbia.
The band reunited for a one-off concert performance in Montreal in 2013.
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