the urbanguy chronicles

David Rudder and Andy Narell

Caribbean Jazz Show Mixes Old With New
By Ryan B. Patrick
Entertainment Writer
Pride News Magazine
April 26, 2006

The Caribbean jazz concert, held earlier this month, at Toronto’s Mod Club, comprised an energetic exercise in musical fusion.

Featuring elements of jazz, spoken word, hip hop beat boxing and calypso, from both emerging artists (calypso-fusion group Kobo Town and local spoken word artists Anne-Marie Woods, Al St. Louis; along with beatboxers Subliminal and Eddy Da Original One), and established artists (steel pan wizard Andy Narell and the legendary calypsonian David Rudder), the concert was a sublime synthesis of tradition and innovation.

The concert, organized by the Toronto-based Nu Jazz Society, is the third in a series of concert events (the first two events featured Salome Bey and Roy Ayers, respectively).

The group is currently planning a Brazilian/Latin jazz event, in the coming months, says Nu Jazz Society executive director Graham Reid.

The group hopes to change people’s minds about jazz, by incorporating musical elements not widely known to be associated with the genre, according to Reid.The event was also a reunion of sorts, pairing Rudder (known as the “Man with the Message”) with Paris-based steel pan luminary Narell. Narell is the co-leader of the Caribbean Jazz Project and has pioneered the position of Afro-Caribbean steel pan in contemporary music.

The two have collaborated in the past, Rudder told Pride News Magazine before the event. “It’s like a reunion of old friends,” Rudder says. The Belmont, Trinidad native, who, today, calls Toronto home, is a dynamic entertainer and has been touted as one of the top Calypsonians of his generation.

Rudder performed his classic hits such as “The Hammer” and “Trini 2 De Bone”, in his inimitable style. Caribbean jazz is simply jazz from a West Indian context, Rudder says. “It uses the instruments from the Caribbean to create a different voice,” he adds.

And, when it comes to the current generation of calypso artists, things are looking up, Rudder says. There are a lot of emerging artists who are upholding the traditional elements of the music.

As for Rudder, he recently completed a Broadway-styled musical which premiered in Guyana. In addition to working on new music, Rudder says he hopes to bring the musical to Canada sometime next year.

Kobo Town

Relatively new to the Toronto music scene is the band Kobo Town. According to bandleader Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town is named after the famous neighborhood in Port of Spain, Trinidad, where traditional calypso (kaiso) was born.

This 8-piece multicultural ensemble (Osvaldo Rodriguez, Roger Williams, Derek Thorne, Stich Wynston, Cesco Emmanuel, Ravi Jadoonanan, Linsey Wellman and Gonsalves) fuses Trinidadian roots music with elements of improv-based jazz and groove.

Born in Trinidad, the singer-songwriter says he used to primarily listen to dub music but started a love affair with traditional calypso music, after moving to Canada as a youth.

“When I came here, I became very nostalgic for home. I started reading a lot about West Indian politics and history,” says Gonsalves.

It was delving into the musical history of Trinidad, and about artists such as Roaring Lion, Mighty Spoiler, Lord Invader, Gonsalves says, that alerted him to the richness and depth of the culture.

“The band is very dedicated to calypso and Trinidadian music and the message in the songs,” he says. The music that is kaiso is commonly narrative in form, and carries a cleverly concealed political subtext. This is the tradition Kobo Town is upholding, Gonsalves says.

He founded and fronted the Ottawa-based reggae/calypso/funk fusion group Outcry, in 1992, and, after moving to Toronto, formed Kobo Town in 2004. The band is currently putting the finishing touches on their debut album, which should come out in the next few months.

The band performed a lengthy and well-received set of politically- and socially-charged songs. “I try not to be overly preachy, and I try to rely a lot on imagery,” Gonselves says of the issues the band touches upon. For example, the song “Abitina” deals with domestic violence, “Corbeaux Following” speaks on poverty and desperation in Trinidad, while “Blood and Fire” speaks about globalization.

“I am definitely pleased with the reaction so far,” Gonsalves says of the positive feedback and critical acclaim the band has been receiving so far.

“There is a lot of positive energy in the band, and I think that spills out into the shows.”

This entry was posted on Friday, April 28th, 2006 at 8:41 pm and is filed under culture, music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.