Drew Gonsalves parlayed his Tinidadian and Quebecois heritage, teenage dislocation and exile plus university studies in history and political science into the clever, heady and groovy band Kobo Town. Named after the historic Port-of-Spain neighbourhood that birthed calypso amid the boastful, humorous and militant chants of roaming stick-fighters, he and his merry bandmates redefine and push the calypso music’s boundaries.

They’ve been lauded as an intoxicating blend of lilting calypsonian wit, dancehall reggae and trombone-heavy brass and a unique, transnational composite of rhythm, poetry and activist journalism. Behind the running social commentary and satire, Drew journals the human condition – our quirks and foibles, anxieties and hopes, and the haunting sense of impermanence that imbues life. The title track to their 2022 album Carnival of the Ghosts exemplifies Drew’s innovative take on calypso’s celebration of satire, humour, storytelling and social commentary: it’s about a spectator watching the parade who is put under a spell from a spirit, transporting him in to a surreal and dark version of the carnival, populated by ghosts and skeletons. It’s a spell your head, heart and soul will fall under when you witness the magic that is Kobo Town.

- Kerry Clarke