Gatineau, Quebec, Canada (Top40 Charts/ Canadian Folk
Music Awards) - The Canadian Folk
Music Awards announced on Wednesday, October 17th that Toronto-based, roots-calypso act Kobo Town had been nominated for "Best World Artist Group." The 2007 Canadian Folk
Music Awards, being held on December 1st at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, will recognize Canada's outstanding writers, producers and performers of folk music and the artists who are expanding the genre in innovative and exciting ways.
Led by Trinidadian singer/songwriter Drew Gonsalves, the group has strived to revive the folk traditions of calypso while making it relevant for a new generation of listeners. The Toronto Star noted that "they're [Kobo Town] a musical bridge between two cultures, and a tenuous link to what may be a dying folk art."
The announcement capped a hectic week for the band, with a successful showcase performance at the OCFF (Ontario Council of Folk Festivals) conference, where Drew also spoke on the World Music panel. Kobo Town was also recognized by the 2007 Toronto Exclusive Magazine Awards with a Best World Song Award for "Corbeaux Following" on October 16th.
Since the November release of their much-acclaimed debut album Independence, Kobo Town has been performing major festivals across Canada, from the Montreal Jazz Festival to British Columbia's Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival. The band has also been a regular of the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC), including Canada Live, FUSE, Bandwidth and Big City Small World. Kobo Town is working on a follow up album for the Spring of 2008 and preparing for a U.S. tour. Named after the vibrant and turbulent neighborhood in old Port-of-Spain 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.
Kobo Town is a member of the MusicDish Network, a complete artist development program, leveraging brand development, saturated and relationship marketing, digital distribution and industry outreach to support emerging artists' and bands' careers.
