By Darlene Donloe
Etienne Charles is one of those fortunate individuals who gets to do what he loves for a living while loving what he does to live.
Monday through Thursday Charles is an Associate Professor of Jazz Trumpet at Michigan State University. Come the weekend he goes out to play – and play he does. That’s when the master trumpeter finds himself traveling the world as one of the hottest, most electrifying jazz musicians in the business.
Charles, who is single and hails from Trinidad, is bottling all of that musical oomph and bringing his latest show, Carnival: The Sound Of A People, to The Broad Stage in Santa Monica at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 2.
The show, featuring his particular brand of all that jazz, is a celebration of Trinidadian culture, birthed out of Charles’ fascination with Jab Molassie, the blue, fire-breathing carnival characters, and the people who become them.
The entire show, which will have several performers dressed in Jab Molassie, is the result of Charles’ research, fascination, and emersion into all that is Carnival. Because this inspirationally purposed musician feels a deep connection to the Carnival traditions and is eager to share his feelings with the world, he explored the past and present of Carnival on his island homeland. When he thinks of Carnival, in his head, he sees it all very vividly.
What Charles, 36, found was several blends of jazz, calypso, soca, reggae, bomba, soul, mascaron, Afro-Latin styles from across the Caribbean and music from the American South, in particular, New Orleans.
This is not a new groove for Charles. His music has always bared that infectious Caribbean root.
Charles’ recordings include San Jose Suite (2016), Creole Soul (Culture Shock Music 2013), which features original compositions and arrangements of music by Bob Marley, Winsford Devine, Thelonious Monk, and Bo Diddley. He also released Kaiso (2011), Folklore (2009) and Culture Shock (2006). In 2015, he also released Creole Christmas, a cross-collaboration highlighting traditional Caribbean holiday folk music, featuring musicians from the United States, Venezuela Macedonia, and Trinidad & Tobago.
I recently caught up with Charles (EC) to talk about his career and his upcoming show at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA.
DD: Take me back to the first time you heard a trumpet. What was it about the sound that made you want to play it?
EC: The first time I heard a trumpet was when I actually played one. I actually wanted a saxophone. My uncle was going to get me one, but he sent me a trumpet instead. When I tried to play it, it sounded horrible. I love music. It’s a beautiful instrument.
DD: What have you learned about yourself through your music?
EC: Patience. If you have an idea, go for it. Don’t let people stop you. Growing up black, in order to be accepted in society you have to be a doctor or lawyer. Where I’m from not many people studied music. Most people were like, ‘you won’t have a career’. My goal wasn’t to prove them wrong, it was to have a career.
DD: Let's talk about Carnival: The Sound of a People.
EC: It’s my new album. It was an idea to blend – not blend to have music 100 percent based on Carnival in Trinidad. I went all over the island meeting musicians and recording.
DD: Is it important for you to become connected with your ancestors?
EC: Yes, it’s important. That’s what carnival is about. That’s the essence of the carnival.
DD: For your upcoming show at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA – will I be walking into a Carnival atmosphere?
EC: Yes, on stage there will be a carnival atmosphere. You will be walking straight into it. There will be three of four characters in costume on stage.
DD: Will the audience be able to dance?
EC: If they want they can get up and move. They aren’t chained to the chair. You can make a dance floor.
DD: What happens to you on stage? Where do you go – meaning are you transported?
EC: I go back and forth. There is definitely an element of transformation. That’s what carnival is about. Jab Malassi. It’s all about that thing that gets triggered inside of you.
DD: The press release says you are returning to your roots to celebrate Trinidadian culture. When did you leave your roots?
EC: The album I did before was San Jose Suite. I did something about San Jose, California. I never really left my roots, but this part of my roots is my earliest influence on me.
DD: Has Trinidadian music been fully appreciated and/or recognized?
EC: I don’t think so, because it hasn't. That’s a great question. My answer is really simple. It hasn’t because of access. A lot of Trinidadian artists – I can go down the line - they were well received in the U.S., but in terms of a global phenomenon, it’s very few who have broken through even though they are incredible artists.
DD: So how do we make that happen?
EC: We need to get more opportunities for programming. How many times do you see Trinidadian artists at The Broad Stage or Disney Hall? It comes down to them being presented and put in front as artists. You can’t count Harry Belafonte because he is an American. It’s something I think about a lot. There are so many great artists out of Trinidad and Tobago. We’re still working on it.
DD: I haven’t seen you here in a while.
EC: This will be the first time in five years that I’ve played LA. I played the Blue Whale.
DD: What comes to mind when I say the names Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Wynton Marsalis?
EC: Pioneer, visionary and gatekeeper. I didn’t get into jazz until I was 19. Before I listened to whatever I heard. There was always calypso on the radio. I loved listening to Stevie (Wonder) and Michael Jackson.
DD: Composing, arranging, playing. What does each one do for you?
EC: Each one gets me closer to music as a medium for communication. It’s about energizing people. It moves me along to communicate with musicians. Playing gets to the heart of me. As a composer it’s about understanding what has been written before, you tell people stories. As an arranger, you are coloring music a certain way. It about a texture, which is the nature of the sound.
DD: How did you come to be the Associate Professor of Jazz Trumpet at Michigan State University?
EC: I heard about it and I just applied. They interviewed me and I got the job. That’s really as there was to it.
DD: How do you balance your music career with your responsibilities at MSU?
EC: I travel on the weekends and do gigs and I teach during the week. It works very well.
DD: What is it about music? What does it do for you?
EC: It reminds me of the sound of my mom’s voice. It brings people together who may not have been together before. It energizes and makes people remember. The brain can recognize a melody. It’s powerful.
DD: Describe your style.
EC: It’s 21st-century Caribbean music. It’s all of that. There is improvisation to it. It’s rooted in grooves.
DD: Was there ever a Plan B?
EC: No Plan B. I don’t know how to do anything else.
DD: What has following your passion taught you?
EC: Just to follow your passion. There is nothing more fulfilling. There is nothing better than seeing it affect people in a positive way.
DD: What has following your passion COST you?
EC: Personal time. But I think the sacrifice is worth it.
Etienne Charles - Carnival: The Sound of a People, The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St. Santa Monica CA 90401, Saturday, March 2, 7:30 p.m., $45, parking is free, 310 434-3200,
