ABSTRACT
Introduction In this chapter, an analysis will be undertaken of the sonic evidence of elements of Trinidadian identity which are present (latent or manifest) in the music of calypso and kaiso-jazz fusion. Highlighting the work of four major jazz fusion masters over four successive generations, namely the late 1950s-1960s, the 1970s-1980s, late 1990s-2000s, and 2000 and beyond, this chapter will speak to the musical contributions of Clive Zanda, Raf Robertson, Michael Low Chew Tung, and Etienne Charles. The influences and experiences that led to their excursions into calypso jazz and kaiso-jazz fusion are examined using a phenomenological and ethnographic approach, and the findings of these discussions are synopsized and shared. The analysis of jazz music in the Americas brings to the fore an appreciation of the impact of the various cultures and identities resident in the region while simultaneously highlighting the critical importance of genre fusion, which results as a natural response to the ‘glocalized’ reality of history of the space. In this chapter, reference will be made to the fusion or hybridized versions of calypso jazz and kaiso-jazz, which resulted from natural stimuli in the localized musical landscape space of Trinidad and Tobago.
