Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz
| Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Lord Mouse |
| Origin | Berlin, Berlin, Germany |
| Genres | Calypso, Mento |
| Years active | 2008–2015 |
| Labels | Piranha, Zamzama, Cannery Row, Jump up! |
| Website | lordmouseandthekalypsokatz.com |
| Past members | LORD MOUSE, lead vocals THE KALYPSO KATZ: Tom Lee Who, tenor ukulele General Confusion, piano Benoît Ribot, electric guitar Francesco Tonial and Stéphane Doucerain, congas and percussion Mark Roman, double bass Antti Virtaranta, double bass Claudio Jolowicz, tenor saxophone Witold Niedziejko, alto saxophone Mateo Fauvet, spanish guitar Steven Moult, trumpet Roberto Viccio, trumpet Martin Pech, congas Luke Moller, violin, mandolin Nick Reddel, violin Dietmar Roth, contra bass Backing vocals: Jungle Jo, Vanillinda, Die Schicke Ulrike, Tiger Tam, Coca Cosi, Chiquita Anita |
Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz were a calypso band based in Berlin, Germany. Starting as an active band in 2008, their music was produced independently, with help from Cannery Row Records of Berlin, Jump Up! records of Chicago, Illinois, and Zamzama Productions of Paris, France. The second album, "Go Calypsonian" was released by the Piranha Musik label in Berlin, Germany.
Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz was a Calypso band in the city of Berlin, and one of the few on the continent of Europe. It was formed to bring public awareness of the style to countries across Europe, but later gained a healthy following in Russia and Japan, as well. The musical style, originally from the island of Trinidad, began in earnest in the mid- 1920s, when it was first recorded, and grew in popularity in the United States in the 1950s through the work of Harry Belafonte. Since then, the genre has been all but forgotten in Europe. From the inception of the band the genre has become slowly recognized as a legitimate and dance-worthy musical form within the continent, spreading from Berlin outwards. Although the band was based in Berlin, the members came from all over the world, including the U.S., Russia, England, Australia, Brazil, Poland, France, Italy, Finland, and of course, Germany. The band stayed within the classic sound of the 1920s and 1930s as possible, while still utilizing modern recording techniques. While much of its work is original, there are also covers, used as a reference point, by such calypso heavyweights as Roaring Lion, Young Tiger, Caresser and Lord Invader.
With support from SOAS Radio London DJ Rita Ray of the band The Darts, as well as articles in France's major publication Liberation, United States' N.P.R. Italian music critic Paolo Ferrari of Rumore, the BBC, major Berlin news outlets, etc. the band was able to forge a successful relationship with both the industry people and a wider audience. Since then, Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz have shared stages with luminaries such as Joe Cocker, Bjork, Iggy Pop, Joan Baez, Patti Smith, Robert Plant, Ben Harper, Youssou N'Dour, Véronique Sanson, Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea, Rene LaCaille and many more.
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