Sound Revolution in Trinidad 1970-1980
A collection of rare kaiso gems from Trinidad and Tobago, that brings together the radical political vision of the 1970s with the reclaiming of ancient spiritual consciousness.
All around the world, a shift was taking place. All around the Global South poets, writers, musicians were using their talents to build consciousness and make art that captured the rebellious energy of the time.
Port of Spain was no different. The streets thronged with Black Power marches, trade union demonstrations and Carnival protest bands. Port of Spain was one epicentre in a growing global network where there was a vibrant exchange of ideologies and strategies among Pan Africanist circles in Jamaica, Guyana, London, New York, Montreal, Lagos, Accra and beyond.
And when the meetings were over, the revolution moved to the cramped secret dance halls, the Carnival fetes, the steelband yards.
The music always had a sharp edge. Searing commentary has been part of the various types of music recorded and documented in Trinidad since the stick fighting bands of the late 19th century. Wave after wave of singers have responded with poetic urgency to everything from international affairs to love affairs. In the absence of lyrics, the defiant use of the drum maintains the resistance, as well as the re-framing of the playing of European instruments to the needs of the message.
The early 1970s was another watershed period, ushering in political defiance and also a deep desire to repair the frayed strands of a story that had been ignored in the service of building a modern nation. Lancelot Layne, Delano Abdul Malik De Coteau, Andre Tanker, Clive Zanda, Mansa Musa were more than artists, they were teachers, community workers and advocates for justice.
In Port of Spain’s handful of recording studios, musicians, poets, drummers experimented. These recordings are as raw as an all night Carnival jam, the horns loud, the percussion ringing out, the bass dripping with joy and rebellion. Under the modern influences was a solid rhythm, an unbroken connection to Africa, the songs and keys and cadences brought across the middle passage. These songs are a peep into the untapped treasures of a revolutionary generation, looking at the world with fresh eyes and believing that the music was a central part of the mission to build consciousness and regain confidence.
Client: Soundway Records U.K.
Role: Curation, Research & Liner Notes
