Count Kutu & The Balmers adalah sebuah band yang berasal dari Manila, Filipina. Mengusung musik Mento/Calypso yang merupakan akar dari musik Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dub, Dancehall, dan musik-musik kulit hitam lainnya. Terbentuk pada tahun 2002 oleh nama-nama seperti Count Kutu (Ryan), Senyor Lucca (Greg), Don Ustollano (Joy), Lord Santadio (Corlasito), dan Doctor Turbo (Ompong). Namun beberapa diantara mereka sudah menikah dan tidak aktif lagi di band. Sempat mengalami masa sulit setelah ditinggal beberapa personil asli mereka, akhirnya pada tahun 2010 Count Kutu dan Senyor Lucca mendirikan kembali Count Kutu & The Balmers bersama Cardinal Jones (Jong), Lord Francis (Francis), Bob Marlou (Marlou), dan Atty Justin. Masih mengusung musik Mento/Calypso dengan ciri khas vokal sengau dan menggunakan instrumen-instrumen seperti gitar akustik, tenor banjo, marakas, catacoo, sand block, bamboo drum, dan rumba box. Jalan mereka tidaklah mulus, album-album yang mereka hasilkan tidak begitu laku. Pembelinya kebanyakan adalah wisatawan dan pejalan kaki yang melintas di tempat Count Kutu & The Balmers biasa mengamen, seperti di kawasan pantai dan sudut-sudut kota. Akhirnya, kerja keras mereka membuahkan hasil. Pada tahun 2012, album terbaru mereka dirilis dalam format vinyl 10 inch oleh Jump Up Records, sebuah label rekaman asal Chicago, Amerika Serikat. Label yang berdiri tahun 1993 ini mengawali langkah dengan merilis kompilasi-kompilasi yang memperkenalkan band-band Amerika seperti Mustard Plug, Suicide Machines, dan sebagainya. Kini, Jump Up sudah menegeluarkan ratusan rilisan dari berbagai musisi Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, dan Calypso dari seluruh dunia, antara lain Mr. Symarip, Mr. T-Bone, Moon Invaders, Firebug, Go Jimmy Go, See Spot, Babylove & The Van Dangos, Dr. Ring Ding, dan lain-lain, termasuk Count Kutu & The Balmers. Sehingga, penjualan album terbaru dari Count Kutu & The Balmers kini sudah mampu menjangkau seluruh belahan bumi. Semakin penasaran dengan Count Kutu & The Balmers, akhirnya saya ajukan beberapa pertanyaan kepada mereka. Tidak terlalu panjang lebar, namun sudah cukup sebagai info tambahan dan mencakup pula segala seluk beluk band ini. Berikut adalah interview kami.
Why do you choose the name "Count Kutu and The Balmers"?
We simply adopt the mento musician's idea of naming their band. The same theory as most Jamaican mento musicians adopt the Calypsonians style of naming theirs. Here's somewhat very short and a bit deeper history of Calypsonians names. Slave Calypsonians have pick their names by mimicking their masters first names such as Lord, King, Great, Mighty just to name a few and they mock slyly each other but mostly their masters by singing calypso songs.
What kind of shows do you play?
We used to play on the street corners and public places around Metro Manila and local beaches as our pastime, hustling the onlookers and passersby to buy our cd’s and to drop their coins into the banjo guitar box as donations by singing calypso songs. And we regularly play to our different local bars like Scarlet Café, B-Sides, Mercy’s, Black Bird and event like ska festival or reggae festival in different schedules.
You release 10 inch records from Jump up records in US. How do you get relationship with Jump Up Records?
My friend named Hil (local gig organizer) posted different band videos including Count Kutu & The Balmers on Jump Up facebook page. Perhaps the Jump Up liked CK&TB's sound as the effect, so they start to contact us and sending proposal via email. That’s how we got the Jump Up record deal. Thanks to sir Hil, he made this whole deal happen and to Luv Gaerlan Nogoy for her valued support and assistance.
Tell me the story about your album that released by Jump Up Records!
"Take Me" album is our fifth album that was released by Jump Up Records in vinyls. We did not expect such success would come to us because our main target-market of this business is to sell our merchandise for locals only. But to our surprise it appeared now to be selling worldwide since Jump Up's. Thanks to God for giving us these blessings.
Many of your songs are written in your mother-tongue/local language. What are your songs talking about?
It's all about local news, scandals, insults, politics, gossips, bravado and innuendos. Of course, we have learned these technics from cunning traditional Calypsonians and our local calypsonian Max Surban.
How about the music scene in your town also your country?
Reggae and Ska music both traditional and modern are rampant in my country nowadays. Most of them are good. Philippine Ska, Reggae, and Mento scene are always great. We really enjoy most of the scenes. It was always joyful because everyone supports the scenes with enthusiasm both Jamaican music supporters and non-supporters.
Is a career or just a hobby for you? Any other project outside the band?
Actually, Count Kutu & The Balmers is my side project band and it is only a hobby for us. Our original band is The Sneekers - a Punk Rock/Psychobilly band and still active.
Mento is often confused with Calypso because of their similarities. What are the differences between them?
The differences between calypso and mento is that, of course, calypso was originated in Trinidad and Tobago, and mento was originated in Jamaica. They have almost the same style of wit on their lyrics, maybe because they have the same african roots. It differs only to the sound because mento has very uniquely exotic sound like for example, mento usually used banjo as lead guitar and strummed in antediluvian reggae style or in predictably unpredictable strumming technics, while calypso used typical acostic guitars and strummed or lead in slight jazz form but it does not affect my enthusiasm in calypso because I simply like them both. Another example, mento used Rumba box that produces very distinctly deep and heart-pounding sound of bass, while calypso used upright bass. I think those are some of the differences between calypso and mento.
Any last words for our readers?
To all Indonesian supporters thank you for your warm patronage to the band. It’s a great honor for the band to be featured of your local fanzine (Fotokopi Buram Zine). We really appreciate this stuff. We hope to see Indonesia someday. We wish you all god speed. Thanks to everyone.
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