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Kobo Town
audiostreet.net/kobotown
Home Town: Toronto, Canada
Genre: World/Folk
Posted By: MusicDish
Joined On: November 13, 2007
Page Views: 2,707
Song Plays: 50
Current Rank: 4,964
Highest Rank: 140
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Albums
Independence
Similar Artists
Roaring Lion, King Radio, Eddie Grant, Jolly Boys, Manu Chao, Barbarito Torres, Steel Pulse, Yellowman, David Rudder, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Mutabaruka, The Orishas, Mighty Sparrow, K-os
Group Members
Drew Gonsalves, Robert Milicevic, Stich Wynston, Ravi Jadoonanan, Derek Thorne, Linsey Wellman, Roger Williams, Cesco Emmanuel, Osvaldo Rodriguez
Instruments
cuatro, guitar, drums, dholak, percussions, congas, flute, saxophone, clarinet, bass, violin, piano
Musical Style
Calypso, Roots Reggae, Dub, Mento
Influences
early Trinidadian calypso, Cuban son montuno, Jamaican mento, French Antillean zouk, old school dancehall, roots reggae, Brazilian forro, Crucian scratch band music, Venezuelan pasillos, Colombian parranda, Haitian kompa
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Brief Description
Kobo Town is a Toronto-based group whose music draws its inspiration from traditional calypso, roots reggae and dub poetry. Named after the vibrant and turbulent neighbourhood in old Port-of-Spain where calypso was born, the group strives to recover the social conscience, satirical storytelling and strong acoustic/organic rhythms that characterized Trinidadian music in the past.
History/Biography
Founded by bandleader Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town 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.
Calypso is an art that developed in dialogue with other musical forms. The members of Kobo Town, who come to calypso from all over the musical map, hope to continue and extend this tradition of rhythmic and melodic cross-pollination. While rooted in old time calypso and various West Indian folk musics, their music also draws heavily on dub poetry, roots reggae, zouk, son montuno, funk and jazz.
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. |
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