Kobo Town brings Calypso spirit to For Macleod’s Empress Theatre

Calypso-inspired ensemble Kobo Town are coming to the Empress for the third concert in our Centre Stage Concert Series on Friday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Founded and fronted by Trinidadian-born, Toronto-based 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!)

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

Gonsalves was born in Trinidad and moved to Ottawa when he was 13. He began writing his own calypsos and visiting calypso tents each time he visited Trinidad. In 2004, he started Kobo Town with some fellow Trini expats in Toronto.

The band’s 2006 debut Independence received a warm reception and quickly made the band a crowd favourite on the festival circuit. They have since released three more albums, including their JUNO and Polaris Prize-nominated album Jumbie in the Jukebox, and their most recent recording, Carnival of the Ghosts.

Kobo Town is named after the historic neighborhood in Port-of-Spain where calypso was born amid the chants of roaming stickfighters. 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.

Kobo Town continues to redefine calypso music and push the boundaries of the Caribbean sound, touring their distinct music across the world, from Port-of-Spain to Paris and from Montreal to Malaysia.

Tickets for Kobo Town are $37.50 each and available at MacleodEmpress.com, by calling 403-553-4404 (toll-free at 1-800-540-9229), or at the Box Office on Main Street.

The Empress Theatre is currently operating under the province’s Restrictions Exemption Program for our Centre Stage Series concerts only. Prior to entering the theatre, patrons must show proof of full vaccination and photo identification. Masks must be worn to enter and move about the theatre. The concession and bar will be open at this show.

Final upcoming Centre Stage concert: The Ennis Sisters, April 29, 2022