Toronto-based calypso act Kobo Town’s debut album Independence was named by Blogcritics as the best International album of the last year. CBC Radio One’s “Fresh Air” and “Big City Small World” radio shows also chose the record among their Top 10 lists for 2006. Finally, The Live Music Report 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.”

Kobo Town produced and self-released Independence in November. 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 an historic community in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, where calypso was born, Kobo Town strives to recover the social conscience, satirical storytelling and strong acoustic/organic rhythms that characterized Trinidadian music in the past. But while the group’s singer-songwriter Drew Gonsalves expresses a wish to “celebrate the musical and artistic traditions formed over the long years of our turbulent history”, the tales that fill the album could be told anywhere.

Independence was co-produced by Lyndon Livingstone (David Rudder, Andre Tanker, Mighty Scrunter) and Drew Gonsalves at the Razorshop in Maraval, Trinidad. Independence will be available for download through CD Baby, iTunes, Music Discovery Network, Calabash Music and select online retailers. For more information or to hear advance tracks from the album, please visit, www.kobotown.com.