KOBO TOWN: Independence


Drawing heavily upon the sounds of traditional calypso, roots reggae and dub poetry, Kobo Town's debut release, Independence, is a collection of stories which offer a running commentary on a wide variety of social and political themes including domestic violence, homelessness, globalization, the war on Iraq, and the various frustrations and betrayals of the post-colonial era.

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" and its various failures 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. One track Abatina tells the tragic story of a girl trapped in an abusive marriage by her family's class aspirations, while another, St. James, uses a flood of rhymes and images to evoke both the desperation and celebratory spirit of a struggling neighbourhood in Port-of-Spain. And underlying the songs are bottle and spoon rhythms, syncopated flute and violin melodies, strumming cuatros, and heavy reggae bass lines which indicate a marriage between West Indian musics old and new – a dialogue between a fading folkloric tradition and the sounds that prevail in our time.

... the gift of mockery with which I'm cursed is just an insect biting Fame behind, a vermin swimming in a glass of wine, that, dipped out with a finger, bound to bite its saving host, ungrateful parasite, whose sting, between the cleft arse and its seat, reminds Authority man is just meat... Derek Walcott, The Spoiler's Return

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.