The Cat Empire

“Australian party music.” That, according to the members of Melbourne’s The Cat Empire, is the most accurate description of their music. The party recipe consists of equal parts funk, gypsy jazz, Latin, reggae and rock. A successful formula that hasn’t changed since their formation in 1999 and has charmed all of Australia. The founding trio became a sextet, complemented by horns and dancers on special occasions. Sometimes there are over thirty members of The Cat Empire on stage. It’s notable that the band has no guitarist. Over time, they have become a renowned Australian export with markets all over the world. Trumpetist Harry James Angus is philosophical about it: “The beat of a song is universal. It makes people everywhere smile and dance. That’s exactly what we want.”