Rapso reunion at Club Ibiza

FROM THE ORGANISERS:


WATERSHED: THE KISKADEE ERA OF MUSIC REVISITED AT CLUB IBIZA

On Mon 7th June 2010 the public is invited to WATERSHED- a celebration of the sounds from the Kiskadee era at Club Ibiza, Tragerete Road from 9- 11.30pm. Performing will be Omari' Kindred' Ashby, Rubadiri 'Chantwell' Victor, with Ozy ‘Homefront’ Majiq & others capping off a Rapsomen reunion from the 90s. The group will be taking a ride down memory lane remembering that period from 1991- 1995 which was a mini-Golden Age in T&T culture where young music, fashion & creativity blossomed & changed the course of T&T's history. The night is a celebration of live music, Dj-ing, dancing & memory.

Live music will be played with unplugged sets by Omari Ashby formerly one half of pioneer Rapso group Kindred. Omari has a new band called Soul Quarters which also features Shannon Bailey, son of the Grand Wizard himself- the Mighty Shadow. Kindred was at one time the biggest group in Trinidad and Tobago, ruling the roost with hits like ‘This Trini Could Flow’, ‘Dance’, ‘Can U Tek it, ‘Blow Way’ and ‘Freedom Jam’. They were pioneers of an indigenous Rapso sound that did not try to imitate Jamaican Dancehall, American Hip Hop or any other foreign source. It was a declaration of faith in ‘Self’ that started a renaissance in original music by young Trinidad and Tobago throughout the 90s.

Ozy Majiq formerly of Homefront was also part of that revolution with the great Rapso ballad ‘Give Yourself a Chance’ and the monster hit ‘Rollin’ which revolutionized Soca and music for the road. Both Kindred and Homefront were part of the historic investment in local culture by businessman Robert Amar which saw the creation of Caribbean Sound Basin (CSB)- one of the 3 greatest recording studios in the world. CSB was also the place where Puff Daddy recorded most of Notorious BIG’s biggest hits. Amar’s creation of the Kiskadee Karavan made local youth music bigger than foreign imports. For 3 years the biggest hits in T&T were local,  with tens of thousands of young people mid-year filling up stadiums to here all-local music outside of Carnival.

Rubadiri Victor’s band Chantwell also contributed to this mini-Renaissance with his bands massive hit and video ‘Clear de Way’ which was produced independent of the Kiskadee Karavan.  Chantwell’s success outside of Amar inspired many musicians to have faith in independent productions. All 3 Rapso musicians and bandleaders for the WATERSHED event have remained committed to original Trinbago music with an indigenous sound and have continued writing dozens of songs. The public is now invited to hear some of this new material alongside re-interpretations of the classics.

The evening will also be one of Memory- whereby the crew will be reminiscing about that seminal period in T&T culture. They will talk about a time when local youths were wearing local design labels like The Cloth and First Chapter Adam which were valued more than foreign labels. They will talk about ‘Party Time’. It was a period of youth blossoming that hopefully this country will see again.

The night will be capped off by the brilliant DJ stylings of Ozy with his Flying Galvanise DJ label which spins the most eclectic and danceable grooves being played in T&T at present. The WATERSHED session is about dancing and enjoying yourself. Come one and come all: Monday 7th June 2010, Club Ibiza, Tragerete Road- obliquely opposite the Oval going west 9pm until 11.30. Admission is only $40. CDs, magazines, t-shirts and memorabilia on sale!!! Call 797-0949 for more details.