On June 20, celebrated trumpeter and composer Etienne Charles unveiled Gullah Roots, his latest album delving into the rich cultural tapestry of the Gullah people—an African American ethnic group rooted in the coastal Lowcountry of the southeastern United States. Though Charles is best known for his deep engagement with Caribbean musical traditions—particularly those of his native Trinidad and Tobago—Gullah Roots reveals striking connections between the Gullah culture and the wider African diaspora.
“Jazz is Caribbean music,” Charles asserts, pointing to New Orleans as a historical crossroads where African, Caribbean, and American influences converged to shape the genre. “When I began this project, I sensed there was a link between the Lowcountry and the Caribbean. As I explored further, those ties became undeniable.”
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The album’s standout tracks illustrate these cultural intersections with vivid artistry. “Gullypso” blends the rhythmic pulse of Trinidadian calypso with the earthy swing of Gullah folk music, while the two-part “Watch Night” transforms a traditional Gullah prayer ritual into a dynamic jazz suite—moving from haunting choral harmonies in “Prayer” to the ecstatic, percussion-driven “Ring Shout.” Charles also reimagines “Kumbaya,” a hymn with Gullah origins, as a transcendent closing meditation, featuring Kilgore’s soul-stirring choir.
Yet Gullah Roots stretches beyond the Americas, reaching back to Africa itself. “Bilali” incorporates the guembri (a North African bass lute) and krakeb (Moroccan castanets), while “Igbo Landing” memorializes the 1803 mass resistance of enslaved Igbo people in Georgia, its somber melodies and turbulent rhythms evoking both tragedy and resilience. “The diaspora is one,” Charles reflects. “This music is about honoring those connections.”
Born in Trinidad in 1983, Charles grew up immersed in music. His father, Francis, a steelpan virtuoso and avid record collector, filled their home with sounds ranging from calypso to jazz. By his teens, Charles was performing with Phase II Pan Groove, one of Trinidad’s premier steel bands, but his passion for jazz led him to Florida State University in 2002. There, under the mentorship of pianist Marcus Roberts, he honed a style that seamlessly wove Caribbean vernacular into jazz’s improvisational language.
After winning top honors at the International Trumpet Guild and National Trumpet competitions, Charles earned a scholarship to Juilliard, where he refined his vision. Since then, he has collaborated with icons like Wynton Marsalis and Maria Schneider while carving out a singular niche as a bandleader. Gullah Roots, his eleventh album, builds on two decades of cross-cultural exploration—from 2006’s Culture Shock to 2019’s Carnival: The Sound of a People.
For Charles, Gullah Roots is more than an album; it’s an act of reclamation. “These stories—of survival, faith, and cultural preservation—are part of a global narrative,” he says. Whether channeling the spiritual intensity of a Gullah ring shout or the mournful defiance of Igbo Landing, his music bridges past and present, offering listeners a chance to “re-examine history through sound.”
With its lush arrangements and profound historical resonance, Gullah Roots reaffirms Charles as one of jazz’s most compelling sonic archaeologists—a musician who, no matter the terrain, always finds his way home. Released on his independent label, Culture Shock Music, the project features a stellar sextet, including alto saxophonist Godwin Louis, pianist Christian Sands, guitarist Alex Wintz, bassist Russell Hall, and drummer Harvel Nakundi, with additional contributions from percussionist Quentin E. Baxter and vocalist Mykal Kilgore.
