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Genres

From: North America > Canada, Trinidad & Tobago

Genres: Reggae, World Fusion, World Jazz, Calypso

Kobo Town

Kobo Town was founded by bandleader Drew Gonsalves, and is named after the historic neighborhood in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, where traditional calypso (kaiso) was born amid the boastful, humourous and militant chants of the roaming stickfighters. Situated near the fishermen’s wharf, the area was a site of constant defiance and conflict, a place where sticks and stones, songs and verses clashed with the bayonets and batons of colonial rule. For the members of the eight-piece outfit, the name suggests an origin as well as a destination.

Exploring the rich lyrical tradition and compelling rhythms of calypso’s formative years – the age of the Roaring Lion, Mighty Spoiler, Lord Invader, King Radio and Attila the Hun – Kobo Town strives to demonstrate the contemporary relevance of their art by engaging the pressing concerns of our time. Domestic violence, the US war on Iraq, the paradoxes of globalization, the ongoing state of Caribbean dependency, and the bittersweet experience of immigration are all treated within their wide and varied repertory.

For Kobo Town, Trinidad’s musical heritage is a living, growing body of work, with a continuing importance in their lives, the West Indies and the world. While exploring new sounds and arrangements, their songs resonate with the satire, storytelling and social concern that lie at the center of Trinidad’s national art.

Drew Gonsalves: lead vocals, cuatro, guitar
Linsey Wellman: flute, saxophone, clarinet
Derek Thorne: congas
Stuart Watkins: bass
Rober Milicevic: drums
Osvaldo Rodriguez: violin, piano
Ravi Jadoonanan: dholak, percussions
Cesco Emmanuel: lead guitar
Stich Wynston: drums
Roger Williams: bass
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Kobo Town

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Independence

Kobo Town presents their first release - Independence. The title of this album is intended to be hopeful and ironic at the same time: some of the songs offer a critical look at the 'independence experiment' in Trinidad and its various failutres and betrayals in Trinidad and elsewhere, while others aim to celebrate the musical and artistic traditions formed over the long years of our turbulent history. Written out of a love for old-time calypso, roots reggae and dub poetry, this album is also driven by a desire to join the effort of those West Indian artists, activists and musicians who have recognized that the wounds in our society run deep into our past, and that recovering a sense of cultural, national and spiritual self-worth is a crucial first step in the path toward healing and renewal.

Indicates Most Popular Song

Title

Length

Sample

Sing Out, Shout Out

5:39

Corbeaux Following

4:32

Abatina

4:54

At the Edge of the City

4:23

Across the Dark Waters

4:44

Blood and Fire    

3:29

Trinity

5:40

Beautiful Soul

4:16

Higher Than Mercy

2:52

St. James

6:30

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