Founded by Trinidadian-Canadian songwriter DREW GONSALVES, KOBO TOWN is named after the Port-of-Spain neighbourhood where calypso was born amid the boastful, humorous, and militant chants of roaming stick-fighters. Taking the intricate wordplay of classic Caribbean music and running it through a 21st-century filter, Kobo Town blends calypso with a wide mix of other musical influences, including ska, reggae, and dub. Rooted in the deepest traditions of Trinidad, Kobo town points the way to calypso’s future.

One minute QUIQUE ESCAMILLA is singing sweet songs that conjure up a full moon on a summer night, and the next he’s a freedom fighter, using his lovable, quirky musical style to address Indigenous rights, resistance, and sustainability. With the whole world as his influence, Quique fuses traditional Mexican styles like ranchera and huapango with reggae, rock, and 500 years of history, creating his own unique Music of the Americas.