We are still abuzz after producing this summer’s East Coast Tour of the Cayman Island’s cultural guardians, the Swanky Kitchen Band. The group knocked out audiences at the Lowell Folk Festival. They performed to a full Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress and then were interviewed for the Archive of Folk Culture—the first inclusion of cultural materials from the Cayman Islands in the collection. The tour’s triumphant finale brought them in front of throes of Cayman-flag-shirt-wearing ecstatic fans at Lincoln Center. As successful as the tour was, it was just one step in the larger progression of CCV’s impactful efforts in the Cayman Islands, working with the Swanky Kitchen Band and its leader and fiddler Samuel Rose to help preserve and sustain Caymanians’ deeply rich yet threatened traditional culture.
We caught up with Samuel upon his return to Cayman to reflect on his and the band’s experience in the USA with CCV:
How did the tour compare to your expectations?
Samuel Rose: The East Coast Tour was a dream come true. We set out a number of goals and accomplished literally every single one. What exceeded our expectations was the way the audiences embraced our music.
What were one or two of the highlights for you?
SR: One special highlight was when I stood on stage looking out at the empty Coolidge Auditorium in the Library of Congress an hour before the performance. All of a sudden a wave of emotions washed over me as the significance became clear. I thought about all the Caymanian musicians who came before me and who contributed to the tradition. I also thought about the recognition and acknowledgment of our identity as Caymanians that this moment was creating. It felt like a burden that I’ve been carrying was being lifted and that all our efforts were not in vain.
You’ve been with Swanky for over 20 years. What did this tour mean to you? How do you think it will impact the group going forward?
SR: This tour meant us taking another big step towards our destiny. We were born to play music and somehow over the years our journeys and careers merged onto this track. The band now knows what it takes to be on the road and most importantly how our music is received across diverse audiences.
How did you feel the tour impacted folks back in Cayman?
SR: Everywhere we go in Cayman we are being stopped, hugged, congratulated. Then we have to deal with those who are upset that they weren’t able to join all the other Caymanians in New York. So there’s definitely some serious FOMO here in Cayman. Seriously though, we gave our people hope, pride and joy. They saw themselves, they felt connected to our journey and they felt like we were their voice—showing the world who we are as Caymanian people.
How did this fit within your own mission of keeping this music, and by extension much of true Caymanian traditional culture alive and prosperous into the future?
SR: The tour has hopefully opened new doors and breathed new life into our mission. We shared our music in diverse settings. No two performances were the same—literally unique setlists and delivery styles for every single show. But one thing remained the same was we educated, enlightened and entertained. Our vision is to always deliver on all three so that it will maintain the audience’s interest and drive demand for the music.
How has your relationship with CCV impacted your own work and the cultural life of Cayman more generally?
SR: God bless the day our paths crossed with CCV. Not every musical style is going to capture the eyes and ears of music executives and while we hope for commercial success in the future, CCV has opened doors in the folk and traditional arts world and introduced us to many like-minded individuals, artists and organizations who share a similar vision. We’ve been so inspired—especially because we’ve never felt like we had to compromise or tone down our authenticity. We’ve been encouraged to be ourselves! CCV’s work is so important in this world today—connecting cultures and bringing people together from diverse backgrounds and traditions together! We are only too happy to tell the world about CCV’s incredible work.
Library of Congress Performance
See Swanky Kitchen’s Band historical performance at the Library of Congress HERE.
