Robert Vineburg

Forced to fend for himself from the age of 14, Robert soon left his hometown of Montreal and arrived in New York in 1976 where he made a living by busking on the streets of Brooklyn. He quickly became a regular on the New York No Wave scene and was part of the original line-up of James Chance and the Contortions. He still performs with them today. He was spotted by David Bowie and recorded the 'Let's Dance' album with him. Not a bad start to his career. Robert played his many instruments (all the saxophones and flutes, as well as piano, bass, guitar, etc.) amid the tumultuous atmosphere of 1980s' New York and recorded with rock bands such as the B52s and Blondie, funk and disco bands like Chic, and for the producer Patrick Adams. He also played his part in the rise of hip-hop, working with Afrika Bambataa and Heavy D as well as Stetsasonic (on the classic track 'In Full Gear' and on a historic tour of Africa), Wu-Tang Clan and RZA. Nor did he take his foot off the gas during the Nineties, when he was responsible for one of the first house music hits, 'Sax in the Ozone', for the label Eight Ball in 1992, as well as making his musical knowledge available to Masters at Work and various other electronic artists such as Daniel Wang and Fisherspooner. He became musical director of Wyclef in 1995 for the next ten years or so. Robert never had any career plan, his only guide being his thirst for music and the twin principles of pleasure and joy, and few people know his name and his place in the history of music. He has always preferred life in the wings and other shady areas to the 'bling bling' of the star system.