Description
Release Date Friday 9th October 2026
All pre-orders will be dispatched/made ready for collection on that day.
Mr Bongo reissues, in full for the first time, a pioneering Trinidadian
steelband album from 1979 - masterminded by the key and highly influential
calypso / soca steelpan player, Len "Boogsie" Sharpe, Phase2 showcases
Boogsie's innovative fusion of jazz, funk and Caribbean rhythms in stunning
style
Dubbed 'the Mozart of Pan' by Wynton Marsalis, Boogsie began playing pan at the age
of five and composed his own music by the age of nine years old. Across a long and
illustrious career, he has won seven National Panorama Championships in Trinidad
and Tobago with his compositions and band, a world Steelband Music Festival with
his original compositions "In the Rainforest", and two Notting Hill Panorama
Championships with Mangrove Steel Orchestra. Over the years he has also played
with Andre Tanker, Lord Shorty, Lord Kitchener, Leston Paul, Clive Zanda, and other
amazing Caribbean greats. Len became an arranger for the National Steelband of
Trinidad and Tobago and is a cultural ambassador for the country promoting the
instrument.
Phase2 is built up predominantly of original compositions by Boogsie, alongside a
track penned by fellow Trinidadian musician Raf Robertson and an outstanding
Trinidadian-disco cover version of Roy Ayers' classic 'Can't You See Me'. Phase II is
the name of the band Boogsie started with six of his friends who sought to compose
their own music.
Drenched in feel-good island-life energy, the eight tracks showcase Boogsie's creative
approach to the pan and its ability to elevate the flavour of a host of genres not
usually associated with the instrument.'Can't You See Me' is an underground disco
banger that has become highly sought-after. It's no surprise why, with pan injecting
Caribbean heat to Ayers' original. When rare groove DJs picked up on it and began
playing it in their sets, it introduced Boogsie's talents to a wider audience.
Far from a one-track wonder, there is plenty more to dig into on the album. The cosmic
jazz-funk of 'Boogie Kaiso' is pure brilliance. Starting off with a soul-nourishing piano
introduction, it drops into a super deep, addictive, pan-infused disco groove which has
Cloud One-esque vibes to it. The composition sounds fresh and is the perfect secret
weapon for the dancefloor. Elsewhere, 'Weight' is another highlight. A sweet, catchy
jazz- funk dancer with some sublime playing throughout. 'Yoga Styling' and 'Punk
Party' kick off with brilliant breaks, before opening out into grooves rich in leftfield
disco swagger, hypnotic musicianship and blistering pan solos by Boogsie. Then
there's 'Celebration', reminiscent of a mix between a Stevie Wonder song and a
calypso classic, with amazing, relaxed, but on-point funk drumming by Richard Bailey.
Providing a moment to pause for breath, 'Passing Time' is meditative and deep with
just Boogsie on the pan, a moment of relaxed and regenerative calm on the record.
Whether you're already familiar with the iconic sound of Len "Boogsie" Sharpe or are
discovering his magic for the first time, we hope you get inspired by this masterpiece
from one of the best in their craft.
Tracks: Weight / Can't You See Me / Celebration / Boogie Kaiso / '79
Is Mine / Passing Time / Yoga Styling / Punk Party
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