MUSICA: KOBO TOWN'S NEW ALBUM 'JUMBIE IN THE JUKEBOX'
I have so much music to share with you all that sometimes is a bit overwhelming because I am not a music critic but someone that enjoys good and diverse music. So, I just going to start with this awesome group that is visiting NYC to play at SOB's, but is touring the country as well, so make sure you see them when in your city. Kobo Town is celebrating the release of his new production Jumbie in the Jukebox. Take a listen!.
About: Founded by emigré Trinidadian songwriter Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town takes the intricate wordplay of classic Caribbean music and runs it through a 21st Century filter. In the world of Kobo Town calypso, roots reggae, and acoustic instrumentation meet innovative production techniques, social commentary and indie rock attitude.
Gonsalves was raised in a middle class suburban town outside Port-of-Spain but his family relocated to Canada when he was 13 years old. Even though he was exposed to a lot of music growing up on the island, the local folklore tradition of calypso music wasn’t his main interest back then. Like most of his peers, he was mostly influenced by American and British rock music...and even admits to a passion for heavy metal in his early teens.
It wasn’t until he relocated to Canada that the prism of nostalgia and a deepening interest in his country’s history led him to explore the rich traditions of calypso music, mostly by digging through bins of old records in second-hand stores. “Calypso is the folk music of urban Trinidad,” explains Gonsalves, “it was the music that spoke, not only to us, but like us. It was full of gossip and innuendo and addressed every topic under the sun from every possible angle. And it delivered its ideas with wit and humor. Political song-writing can get so self-righteous and dour, and it was always refreshing to hear it done with a laugh and a smile.”
With that in mind, Gonsalves formed Kobo Town (the name references the neighborhood where calypso is said to have been born) who released an acclaimed debut album in 2007. Their 2013 release, Jumbie in the Jukebox, refers to the jumbie, a spirit in Trinidadian folklore. According to Gonsalves, “A jumbie fulfills many roles. Its used to frighten children, sort of like boogie man. It evokes a sense of mystery about the world and all of the strange forces that influence its course.”
Kobo Town’s music came to the attention of Cumbancha founder and Putumayo researcher Jacob Edgar, and he introduced Gonsalves to Belizean producer Ivan Duran who had earned acclaim for his work on the Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective album Wátina.
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