Elkin Robinson, a rising star in the Caribbean folk music scene, unites calypso, mento, reggae, sea songs, gospel, and zouk into his original and infectious sound. Raised on Providencia, an English-speaking Caribbean Island that is officially part of Colombia but is geographically closer to Nicaragua and more culturally like Jamaica thanks to its history of English colonization. Robinson started singing in churches at age six and had mastered the guitar by age ten. His band features typical local instruments such as the washtub bass, the horse jaw-bone rattle, maracas and acoustic guitar, which he combines with rich vocal arrangements inspired by the gospel songs sung in Providencia’s churches.
Featured Song:
This edited version of “Creole Vibration” is adapted from the recording featured on Robinson’s 2014 debut EP Come ‘round. The song focuses on the daily challenge of bridging identities and the promotion of bilingual rights on an English-speaking island that is part of a Spanish language nation. Robinson sings, “Take me back to my roots / To my bread kind and my fruits / All my people old and youth / We living in the short not in the suit / We need our language / We need our culture / In a creole vibration.”
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