Musicians leave Christafari to form Temple Yard

AS A RESULT of a mix of two distinct visions for the band's future, Christafari, the pioneering American reggae gospel band has become two. Erik Sundin, Johnny Guerrero, Ken Yarnes and Marky Rage have split away to form the new five-piece band Temple Yard while Christafari founder Mark Mohr has put together a new band and will continue to fill Christafari's dates.

Temple Yard plans a more pop sound with a reggae/rock edge while Mohr and Christafari will continue the original reggae roots of the group. The last Christafari date together was in front of 20,000 people at Reggae On The River, California's reggae festival which is the largest in the USA.

Mohr, an ordained minister, will continue to work with the new band as well as continuing with Jamaica For Jesus, a ministry he started to help Christians in reggae as well as Jamaican Christian artists. Gotee Records have agreed to be the label for Temple Yard, who will be in the studio in November, while hoping to continue their current relationship with Christafari.