Search - Trinidad Rio :: Raw Kaiso 2: Trinidad Rio & Brigo, Live in Concert

There seem to be primarily two types of Calypso currently available in the U.S. There's the huge back catalog of reissues by classic Calypso kings like Atilla the Hun, Roaring Lion, and Lord Kitchener, and an endless stream of cheap, meaningless, and vacuous party music spawned by labels in both the U.S. and Trinidad. But Trinidad Rio and Brigo straddle a small but important group of artists who use new sounds and new grooves to make Calypso that is still relevant, witty, politically sly, and thoroughly Caribbean. These two artists use a contemporary band--electronic keyboards, bass, electric guitar, and drums create a sound sometimes punctuated by horns--to make statements about life and music in Trinidad today. Sex (and sometimes sexism) dominates, both for its own sake and in the service of subtle political comments. But there is also topical broadside aplenty in songs about the foibles of the electric company, the local politicians and radio stations, and the complexities of modern living, all poured out with high sprits and humor in a live recording. Calypso survives, thrives, and defies mass marketing on Raw Kaiso. --Louis Gibson