JAMSIE' WELL RECEIVED IN DENMARK

Local Quelbe musician Jamsie Brewster returned recently from Denmark after a two-week concert tour with the Danish fusion group, the Original Danish Polcalypso Orchestra. When asked how he enjoyed the trip, the 71- year- old Jamsie replied, "If they call me again, I gone!"
Jamsie and the band held seven performances throughout the country including five in Copenhagen, the capitol. All of the performances were well attended, according to Brewster, who added, "The people did a lot of dancing. Nobody sat down in the three sets of music we played."
Polcalypso, described as traditional Danish music mixed with Calypso, was introduced in Europe by Polcalypso bandleader Kazio Kierpaul.
"In Denmark there is a big interest in the fusion of Danish music and music from the outside," according to Larry Braga, owner of Parrotfish Music, who accompanied Brewster on tour. In fact, Brewster's performances were part of a series of concerts in Denmark showcasing the fusion of Danish music and music from other parts of the world, including Cuba and Brazil, Braga said.
While in Denmark Brewster also taught a master class at the Music Academy in Odense. He was surprised at the talent of the young students. He said, "I couldn't believe it. They were not afraid to play. They wanted to learn the music."
He was also taken aback by the hospitality shown to him by the Danes. "When I reached, there were a bunch of people with a big sign there to receive me."
In Demark, he said, "they don't carry you into a rum shop. They take you to their home."
The highlight of the trip was when the band traveled to Nibe in northern Denmark. "I never signed more autographs," Brewster said.
Brewster sings and plays the banjo, the squash, an instrument made from a gourd, and the steel, a triangle. He is also a skilled craftsman and makes instruments and other crafts.
A live recording of his performance with the band will be released on CD on the first of December this year. Other albums by Brewster and by the Polcalypso Orchestra are available at Parrotfish Music on Backstreet.