Toronto-based roots-calypso act Kobo Town will be performing their
inaugural Montreal show at the renowned Club Balattou on Thursday,
March 22nd at 9:00 PM. Located at 4372 Boulevard St-Laurent, Club
Balattou has been the driving force behind world music in this city
for 20 years, laying the groundwork for Festival Nuits d'Afrique, the
Montreal International Reggae Festival and the Montreal International
Jazz Festival.
WHEN: Thursday March 22th at 9:00 PM
WHERE: Club Balattou
4372 Boulevard St-Laurent (corner of Marie-Anne)
M=E9tro - Mont-Royal
Phone: 514-845-5447
The Montreal show comes on the heals of their successful Canadian
Music Week showcase performance at the Trane Studio in Toronto on
March 8th as well as special concert, "Music Is The Weapon," at
Ottawa's Barrymore's Music Hall on Saturday March 10th in sup****t of
Canadian Friends of Sudan and Burma.
Kobo Town produced and self-released their debut album "Independence"
in November 2006. Co-produced by Lyndon Livingstone (David Rudder,
Andre Tanker, Mighty Scrunter) and Drew Gonsalves, the album was named
by Blogcritics as the best International album of 2006. CBC Radio
One's "Fresh Air" and "Big City Small World" radio shows also chose
the record among their Top 10 lists for 2006.
In addition, The Live Music Re****t had this to say about the record
after placing it on their Top 10 list of outstanding 2006 discoveries:
"It is daunting to attempt to describe a CD created by a poet with the
eloquence of Trinidadian-born Drew Gonsalves. His 'St. James' would
fit nicely in an anthology of Caribbean and Caribbean-born poets that
would also include the works of Linton Kwesi Johnson. Some heavy
material, but there is levity too - and rhythm! Lots of sounds to
savour."
IndependentsOnly wrote, "Intoxicating calypso rhythms held straight
with a reggae backbone is the best way to describe this Toronto based
group's sound... 'Independence' shows how music can be the voice of
the people and that the message always rises from ashes. One of the
most beautifully intelligent releases...ever!"
Drawing heavily upon the sounds of traditional calypso, roots reggae
and dub poetry, the album 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. Named after the vibrant and turbulent neighborhood in old ****t-
of-Spain, Trinidad, 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. For members of the eight-piece outfit, the name suggests an
origin as well as a destination.
For more information or to hear advance tracks from the album, please
visit, http://www.kobotown.com
or http://www.myspace.com/kobotown
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