Kobo Town
| Kobo Town | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Caribbean music |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Members |
Drew Gonsalves Derek Thorne Cesco Emmanuel Robert Milicevic Linsey Wellman Roger Williams Jan Morgan PK Giunta |
Kobo Town is a Canadian Caribbean music group, led by Trinidadian Canadian singer and songwriter Drew Gonsalves.[1] Based in Toronto, Ontario, the band blends calypso music with a diverse mix of Caribbean and other musical influences, including ska, reggae, dub, rapso, zouk and hip hop.[2]
Other band members include percussionist Derek Thorne, guitarist Cesco Emmanuel, drummer Robert Milicevic, saxophone and flute player Linsey Wellman, bassist Roger Williams and trumpeter Jan Morgan.[2]
Background
Gonsalves was born and raised in Diego Martin, Trinidad and Tobago to a Trinidadian father and a Québécois mother.[3] When he was 13, his mother left what had become an abusive marriage, and returned to Canada with her children, settling in Ottawa, Ontario.[3] As a teenager, Gonsalves turned to music and poetry as a way to deal with his sense of dislocation and exile.[2] He later studied history and political science at Carleton University before moving to Toronto with his wife Sophia in the early 2000s and forming the band in 2004.[2]
Music
The band released its debut album Independence in 2007.[2]
The band's second album Jumbie in the Jukebox, released in 2013, was recorded predominantly in Belize.[4] The album was named a longlisted nominee for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize on June 13, 2013.[5]
References
- ↑ "Kobo Town: A Haunted 'Jukebox' Filled With Caribbean Sounds". NPR, May 22, 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Kobo Town: Sing the beloved country". Caribbean Beat, March/April 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kobo Town at CBC Music.
- ↑ "Kobo Town". Exclaim!, May 2013.
- ↑ "Polaris Music Prize Unveils 2013 Long List". Exclaim!, June 13, 2012.