As the 20th century rolled in, technology was evolving at a breakneck pace. Though still in their infancy, film and radio were transforming into commercial industries by the first decade of the 1900s. The recording industry, too, was crystallizing during these critical years. The gramophone—an early version of the record player which improved upon Thomas Edison’s phonograph—became a mass-produced item that ordinary folks could obtain. Recording equipment became more practical and more portable, allowing engineers to travel the world and capture live music. These two developments in tandem meant you no longer had to be in the room with musicians to hear them play; music could come from anywhere and be heard everywhere. As record dealers spread out across the Caribbean islands and explored the possibilities of this new medium, they found a diversity of music around every corner. ¡Con Piano, Sublime! : Early Recordings from the Caribbean 1907-1921 collects a small fraction of the sounds sealed in shellac during this frenzy, reissuing most of them for the first time since their original issue over a century ago.
- Shy Thompson