Jumbie in the Jukebox

‘I would choose to live back when calypso brought the news’, sings Drew Gonsalves in the opening seconds of Jumbie in the Jukebox. A snapshot of Trinidad in the period he’s singing about is duly created; there are four-stringed cuatro guitars, the percussion sounds like a bricolage of spoons, pans and dustbin lids and, in an homage to the age, Gonsalves observes his 21st century world with a playful edge.

The Trinidadian Canadian has found a totally original niche with his band Kobo Town, named after the Port-of-Spain neighbourhood where calypso was born. Much of the reason the album works so well is in its slick production. Kobo Town are fortunate to have been taken up by Ivan Duran, largely responsible for making punta legend Andy Palacio an international name. Recorded in Canada, Trinidad and Duran’s native Belize, this proves to be much more than an armchair fusion of musical interests. Gonsalves and Duran clearly share the same commitment to reviving the folkloric music of the Caribbean. Save for the occasional dub moment, Jumbie in the Jukebox stays true to this pre-reggae constraint without sounding forced. Stand out track, ‘Mr Monday,’ pulls everything together masterfully by focussing on a day in the life of a homeless man; Gonsalves commentates while the band support with a brilliantly simple calypso hook. Watch the song’s video online for the full picture, and you’ll doubtless appreciate Drew Gonsalves’ unpretentious sandals and glasses nerd-chic image (think Jermaine from Flight of the Conchords).