Charles for Emancipation shows

The shows will feature music inspired by the African experience in the new world.

They will be original compositions as well as music from Fela Kuti, the Mighty Sparrow, Lord Kitchener and many others.

“Emancipation has been a running theme in my music since I started composing. I finally wanted to put it together to perform in TT near Emancipation,” Charles said in a media release.

He plans to tour the island during his visit for an educational outreach.

Titled Etienne Charles: Emancipation, the shows will be held at 2 pm, 6 pm and 9 pm at the Kaiso Blues Café on Woodford Street, Port of Spain.

Charles, who last played there in 2016, said he has been itching to return to Kaiso Blues since. He will be accompanied by his New York City band comprising: Godwin Lewis (saxophone), Brett Williams (piano), Jonathan Mitchell (bass) and Charles Haynes (drums).

Charles last performed here in January at a sold-out world premiere of his work from his soon to be released album, Carnival, at the Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s.

Carnival, Charles’ fifth large compositional work was made possible with a Creative Arts Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The world premiere followed the Caribbean premiere of his sixth composition the San Jose Suite before a sold-out audience at Queen’s Hall in November 2016.

A 2015 Guggenheim fellow, Charles was awarded the Reubin O’D Askew award, the highest award bestowed upon an Alumnus of Florida State University under the age of 35 and the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Millennial Swing Award. He spent much of 2016 performing at prestigious venues including the White House, Newport Jazz Festival, the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the Lincoln Centre and, most recently, the Jazz Standard in New York and SF Jazz Centre in San Francisco.

For 2017, Charles continued to tour all over the US and overseas including Japan and Jamaica.