Kobo Town - Where the Galleon Sank '2017; 2018

Tracks list

Kobo Town brings the past to the surface on Where the Galleon Sank 

Drew Gonsalves was on a boat when the idea came to him. The Kobo Town bandleader
was heading out on the Gulf of Paria, a pocket of the Caribbean Sea which
stretches between Trinidad and Venezuela, when he spotted the rusted wreck of an
old barge beneath the surface.

Looking down I was struck by how much of our history - like that sunken vessel -
lies buried under waves, its outline barely visible in the blue shadows, the
Trinidadian-Canadian songwriter observes in his liner notes to Kobo Towns long
awaited third album, Where the Galleon Sank. Gonsalves continues: Beneath this
much traversed patch of ocean lie Spanish galleons, slaving ships, pirogues
(fishing boats), oil tankers and even U-Boat submarines – all covered by
that vast water which serves as both a barrier and bridge between our islands
and the wider world. 

The barriers and bridges built by the colonial rule that governed Trinidad have
long been at the heart of Drew Gonsalves much acclaimed writing. On Galleon, he
sets out to raise some of that hidden past to the surface. He named his band
Kobo Town after the historic neighborhood in Port-of-Spain where calypso was
born. Over the past decade, the Toronto-based musician has reinvigorated and
reimagined calypso, infusing this Caribbean folk music with reggae, ska, and an
array of contemporary sounds to create Kobo Towns driving, joyous calypso rock. 

On his new release, Gonsalves continues to explore 500 years of history through
his Trinidadian lens, armed with his trademark wit and gift for melody. Belizean
maverick producer Ivan Duran - integral to the success of 2013s Jumbie in the
Jukebox - is once again manning the console, creating a warm, percolating,
richly layered sound. The making of Galleon, recorded in Montreal, Toronto and
Belize, was delayed when Gonsalves and Duran became involved in one of the
biggest musical comeback stories of 2016. Along with Manu Chao, they co-wrote
and produced one of their childhood musical heroes, Trinidadian legend Calypso
Rose, whose new album has already gone gold in France. 

As on Kobo Towns 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. King Sugar recounts the end of
the sugarcane export which shaped the Caribbean, reminding us that todays
extraction economies may not last forever. Karachi Burning is a first-hand
account of the fiery expressions of grief after Pakistans prime minister Benazir
Bhutto was assassinated. Smokestacks and Steeples is a remarkable overview of
the forces that shaped much of modern mankind - ingeniously crammed into a
3-minute pop song! 

Kobo Town is a vehicle for taking Gonsalves penetrating calypso journalism to
the dance floor but, on Galleon, another, more spiritual, side of the affable
front man is also on display. Before the Day Star sees Gonsalves deliver a
moving tribute to the human spirit, and the hushed final track As They Sleep
paints a scene of perfection, serenity and gratitude as the singer watches his
children sleep. The exquisite album closer is made all the more arresting as the
very last note of the record is one of ambiguity and uncertainty. As if to say,
dont take anything for granted. Enjoy it all while theres still time.

Tracklist:
01. Kobo Town - London Town
02. Kobo Town - When Jonas Saw The Light
03. Kobo Town - King Sugar
04. Kobo Town - Guayaguayare
05. Kobo Town - Scarborough Girl
06. Kobo Town - Strange Dream
07. Kobo Town - What The Sea Remembers
08. Kobo Town - Smokestacks and Steeples
09. Kobo Town - Karachi Burning
10. Kobo Town - Before the Day Star
11. Kobo Town - World is Turning
12. Kobo Town - As They Sleep

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