Formed in 2023, Baba Chaka was founded by Trevor McMorran (guitar), and Ethan Echowood (vocals/saxophone). The two met while attending the Victoria Conservatory of Music for post-secondary studies.
Trevor had written the progression for what would become Baba Chaka’s first original song, “Sarpa Salpa” (2023), and assembled a group of peers including past members Cale Hernandez (guitar) and Zac Day (drums) for an upcoming performance. Ethan approached to play anything on the tune, just to get in on the jamming.
And so Ethan took up the shaker.
As rehearsals continued, it became apparent that Ethan’s talents extended far beyond secondary percussion. A multi-instrumentalist, who prefers to be known as a composer, rather than a songwriter, Echowood counts saxophone, clarinet, piano, guitar, banjo, and drums among the many instruments that he can pick up on a whim.
McMorran has kept his focus more strictly on the guitar, though he’s recently taken to the piano. This newfound skill has served Trevor well, as he acts as the principal songwriter in Baba Chaka. The oldest member of Baba, McMorran brought a wealth of experience from his past project, Polynice, to guide Baba’s earliest endeavours.
Styling the band after his idols in Broken Social Scene, McMorran composed Baba’s early material with a notion of the group functioning as a collective, thereby having featured members flex in and out of the lineup. Essencia Leandro joined on keys and vocals, while Chris Matilla stepped in on bass. A number of peers from the conservatory joined as featured vocalists.
Within one year, Baba Chaka progressed from their inaugural show at Camosun College (consisting primarily of covers and then-instrumental originals), to the main stage of Pender Island’s Mosaic Arts & Culture Festival 2024 (which hosted an estimated 3,000 attendees over its weekend duration).
As the band gained momentum, however, it was only pragmatic to refine the sound to one unified unit.
Lead guitarist Cale Hernandez stepped away in May of 2024, accepting a professional opportunity that would conflict with Baba’s busy summer ahead. Enter longtime friend to the band Eli Swift.
Max Sharrett was a last-minute fill in for original drummer Zac Day ahead of a show in June of that same year, and the fit was seamless. Day exited the band thereafter to pursue his own group.
Matilla sought more time to establish his home studio and budding music production business, and was replaced by friend/past collaborator Ellis Frank on bass.
Leandro move to North Vancouver, to continue her post-secondary studies at Capilano Unversity, in September of 2024.
In her absence, Echowood embraced his role as the singular front-presence of Baba Chaka.
McMorran was awarded the 2024 Recording and Production Project Award for Emerging Musicians, by the VCM. This award afforded the opportunity to record Baba Chaka’s upcoming debut album, FANTASIES. Recording took place at Barnhouse Sound, in Qualicum Beach, B.C., in mid-March 2025. The band continues to mix and touch up the bed tracks at Frank’s own The Shed Recording Studio, in preparation for FANTASIES release.
Baba Chaka 