Kurfew fights Cancer Artistes come together for band leader's benefit concert

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

With a smile always pasted on his face, it's hard to imagine that Kurfew Band's jovial leader and keyboardist Andrae 'Carlos' Marsh is in the midst of a fight with cancer.

Though he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma last year, Marsh has never let his illness get in the way of his music.

Speaking with The Sunday Gleaner recently, Marsh openly discussed that illness, his career and his upcoming benefit concert in aid of his treatment.

The Kurfew Band had its genesis in 2008 with the six members starting out as a backing band for the likes of Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel, Freddie McGregor, Alaine, Voicemail, among countless others.

While he enjoys the success Kurfew has had as a backing band, Marsh hopes to, one day, move from the background and into the spotlight with original material.

Battling illness

Achieving that goal became more complicated when Marsh fell ill in 2009.

"I started getting ill, but nobody knew what was the problem," said Marsh.

Days before leaving for a trip to Shanghai, China, which would prove life-altering, the musician found himself at the Kingston Public Hospital.

After spending days at the hospital, Marsh recovered enough to make the trip with JAMPRO to the World Expo where the band represented Jamaica.

In Shanghai, the band performed at 21 shows and, after a week, he fell ill again.

"When I was in China, the lymph node got bigger and swelled and I had to seek medical attention. It was there that they told me I had cancer. The doctors told the people I was working with that they shouldn't let me onstage because I was having a serious fever every day and I was really sick. They told me I should go home," said Marsh.

Band over health

But the bandleader could not do that. According to him, the whole tour would be cancelled and there was no way he was going to let that happen.

"I got a lot of cussing over putting the band over my health," he said.

According to the website www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, "Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of lymph tissue found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other sites."

Upon his return, the 32-year-old Marsh says he was recommended to the Edwards Medical Centre in Liguanea where he has since been receiving treatment.

"I was suppose to have been finished with the chemotherapy by now but, [during] the last scan, they saw something on my lungs. So now I have to go overseas to do a scan and see if there is more cancer in my lungs, which could cause more trouble for me," explained Marsh.

Chemotherapy normally has a debilitating effect on people and they are, in general, not able to function at the same level they used to. Many have to put their professional lives on hold until treatment ends.

Not Marsh. while undergoing chemotherapy, the keyboardist has still been onstage. Kurfew has backed artistes at Sting, and the New Year's Eve celebration on the waterfront in Kingston.

Marsh debuted on the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) Reggae Month concert last week at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

appeal for assistance

Unknown to Marsh, Queen Ifrica was to make an appeal to the audience at the concert to support the artiste with his medical bills.

"It was unexpected. JaRIA had asked me if they should do it, and I never wanted them to. But Ifrica did it in a nice way, and people just came up and supported. It was nice," said Marsh.

The money collected in addition to a generous donation from Tony Rebel, Marsh explained, would certainly cover the scan he needs to have done in Miami.

"I'm really grateful for it," Marsh was quick to say.

Still, the musician knows that after the scan there will be more work to be done and he is planning a March 26 benefit concert with artistes such as Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel, Tarrus Riley, Chalice, Third World, Voicemail, Alaine, D Major, Tami Chynn, Tessanne Chin and many others.

"I feel really good about all the support, having all those artistes do this for me shows that there are still a lot of good people around. It shows that people appreciate you and the work you've done," he added.

The concert will be used to raise funds for the radiation therapy he is expected to need after his scan.

Throughout his struggles, music has continued to be a constant part of Marsh's life. The big C is just one of his fights, as he also keeps punching the walls of fame in a bid to make the Kurfew Band a household name.