Kobo Town at Blenders

Who

Kobo Town

When

  • April 9, 2022 - Doors at: 7:30pm / Showtime: 8:30pm

As per government regulations all patrons, volunteers, artists, and staff will be required to wear an approved mask and provide either proof of COVID 19 vaccination or a negative COVID test. More information is available on our website: https://blendersmusic.ca/covid-safety/

Founded and fronted by émigré Trinidadian songwriter Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town’s music has been variously described as “an intoxicating blend of lilting calypsonian wit, dancehall reggae, and trombone-heavy brass” (Guardian) and a “unique, transnational composite of rhythm, poetry, and activist journalism.”(Exclaim!) From their home in Toronto, the JUNO-nominated group has brought their distinct calypso-inspired sound to audiences across the world, from Port-of-Spain to Paris and from Montreal to Malaysia.

At once brooding and joyous, intensely poetic and highly danceable, Gonsalves’ songs betray deep roots in Caribbean folk music, while the band delivers them with an indomitable energy that has earned them a considerable following far beyond the niche of world music enthusiasts and calypso fans.

On his last release, Where the Galleon Sank (2017), Gonsalves continues to explore 500 years of history through his post-colonial, Trinidadian lens, armed with his trademark wit and gift for melody. As on Kobo Town’s two previous outings, “Galleon” is filled with buoyant music that stimulates both body and mind; propulsive, infectious grooves are juxtaposed with incisive lyrics that expose human folly and our tendency to repeat our mistakes. Part poet, part correspondent, Gonsalves delivers compelling dispatches from events both real and imaginary.

Kobo Town is named after the historic neighborhood in Port-of-Spain where calypso was born amid the boastful, humorous and militant chants of roaming stick-fighters. 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.

Catch Kobo Town April 9th 2022 at Blenders! Tickets are $35 and are available at Swift Current Pharmasave or online at eventbrite.com. Doors at the Lyric Theatre will open at 7:30pm and the music begins at 8:30pm. Blenders thanks W.W. Smith for sponsoring this show.

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