Count Kutu & The Balmers is a Calypso and Mento band from Manila, Philippines. Formed in 2002 by original members Count Kutu, Senyor Lucca, Don Ustollano, Lord Santadio and Doctor Turbo, the band plays strictly rural style Jamaican mento music, lead by Count Kutu’s nasal voice and vintage acoustic instrumentation ranging from low end guitars, Tenor Banjo, maracas, catacoo, sand block, bamboo drum and rumba box.
Over the years, the band released a handfull of limited edition CDs that were only available at their gigs, and after a short period of inactivity they reformed in 2010 around Count Kutu and Senyor Lucca, adding members Cardinal Jones, Lord Francis, Bob Marlou and female sessionist Atty. Justin.
The band performs and records their own renditions of old mento and calypso songs such as Linstead Market, Big Bamboo, Night Food, and Jamaica Farewell, as well as original compositions recorded in their native tongue. In early 2012, the band came under the radar of Chicago based JUMP UP Records – who immediately offered to release a new album as part of their “78 rpm style” CALYPSO 10″ series, made famous by LORD MIKE’S DIRTY CALYPSONIANS and LORD MOUSE & THE KALYPSO KATZ.
Simply put, amazied at the band’s ability to recreate the rural style of Jamaican mento, made famous by artists such as COUNT OWEN, FRATS QUNITET, THE HILTONAIRES, LORD TANAMO, JOLLY BOYS and SUGAR BELLY. Not wanting to release an album of standards/covers sung in English, were asked for an album of originals sung in their native Tagalog tongue. The result: 9 amazing tracks that are so beautiful that you don’t mind that you don’t speak the language… you’ll be hooked by COUNT KUTU’s one of a kind Jamaican-Filipino-patois.
Limited edition of 400 copies.
10″ LP vinyl housed in our signature “78 rpm” style sleeve.
Tracklist
A1 Baog
A2 Utot
A3 Maniniyot
A4 Soriso
B1 Tuba Cha Cha
B2 Take Me
B3 Ako Ug Ang Akong Uyab
B4 Kulot Nga Buhok
B5 Tandusy Rum
