ETIENNE CHARLES
Genres: World Fusion, Hard Bop, Classic Fusion • Trinidad And Tobago

Born on the island of Trinidad in 1983, Etienne Charles defies easy musical categorization. Etienne’s musical lineage runs at least four generations deep: His great-grandfather, Clement Monlouis, emigrated to Trinidad from the overseas French department of Martinique bringing his folk music to the village of Mayaro; The young trumpeter’s grandfather, Ralph Charles’ distinct cuatro style can be heard on the classic folk and calypso recordings of the Growling Tiger; and, Etienne’s father, Francis Charles, was a member of Phase II Pan Groove, one of Trinidad’s most progressive steel bands and one that Etienne himself would later join. Immersed in his father’s vast record collection, and suffused with the sounds of calypso, steel pan, and African Shango drumming, Etienne imbibed many of the influences that presently constitute the diverse colors of his harmonic palette. Outside of his parent’s household, the Bishop Anstey Junior School proved to be a potent incubator of Etienne’s talent. read more...