Etienne Charles observes and interprets the Black Atlantic in music better than many others in the region, maybe better than anyone anywhere. From the Caribbean and its culture — kaiso history, Carnival tradition and roots, creole folklore and impact — to the wider Americas — exploring Central, South and North American connections and West Indian influence and ideas; telling important stories from the massacre of Black Wall Street in Tulsa and the destruction of a Caribbean neighbourhood in New York to finding traces of music heritage that link humanity in the hemisphere and beyond — his recorded output is prolific and substantial, intelligent and inspirational. His new release, "Gullah Roots," is a "musical journey through Gullah Geechee communities of coastal South Carolina and Georgia," re-charting the stories, traditions, ideas, rhythms, and melodies there, and at the same time seeing historical cultural linkages and subliminal connections with Trinidad and the Caribbean. Etienne Charles, the creole sojourner, the ultimate storyteller for our creole souls, is making pathways for us to proudly walk on.
Etienne Charles observes and interprets the Black Atlantic in music better than many others in the region, maybe better than anyone anywhere. From the Caribbean and its culture — kaiso history, Carnival tradition and roots, creole folklore and impact — to the wider Americas — exploring Central, South and North American connections and West Indian influence and ideas; telling important stories from the massacre of Black Wall Street in Tulsa and the destruction of a Caribbean neighbourhood in New York to finding traces of music heritage that link humanity in the hemisphere and beyond — his recorded output is prolific and substantial, intelligent and inspirational. His new release, "Gullah Roots," is a "musical journey through Gullah Geechee communities of coastal South Carolina and Georgia," re-charting the stories, traditions, ideas, rhythms, and melodies there, and at the same time seeing historical cultural linkages and subliminal connections with Trinidad and the Caribbean. Etienne Charles, the creole sojourner, the ultimate storyteller for our creole souls, is making pathways for us to proudly walk on.