KAISO STREET COLLECTIVE PREMIERES THE MUSIC OF THE MIGHTY BOMBER

Kaiso Street Collective is a new ensemble (nonet) lead by JUNO-Nominated, Trinidadian-born saxophonist and composer Jesse Ryan, that is dedicated to presenting fresh arrangements of music from the golden age of calypso, re-imagined through the lens of modern jazz. The ensemble will premiere new arrangements of some of his late grandfather, Clifton Ryan’s (aka The Mighty Bomber) calypsos as well as calypsos from The Mighty Spoiler, who was one of Bomber’s mentors and biggest influences. Though the cultural contributions of Caribbean icons to Black history have been seen and celebrated in part, their stories are often left out of the global narrative. This project seeks to echo the idea that CALYPSO HISTORY IS BLACK HISTORY!

Jesse returns to his home town Belmont, Trinidad & Tobago in this nostalgic and moody video where he observes mothers with their sons. Each interaction prompts him to reflect on moments he shared with his own late mother, and serves as a chilling reminder of her passing, his journey with grief, and finding healing and hope through his music and an appreciation for the simple everyday things, often taken for granted.

This video was created thanks to the generous support of the MVP Project, a joint initiative of RBCxMusic and the Prism Prize (administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television).