From the siesta to the fiesta, the lifeblood of the Caribbean is its music, the infectious rhythms of salsa, calypso, zouk, with their mellifluous vocals and brilliant brass. Henry Shukman, who has the rare attributes of being both professional writer and ace trombone-player, left London for Trinidad seeking to tap some of this bravura by joining a calypso band - the very heartbeat of the islands. 'Wish I'd been with them'LAURIE LEE 'Full of vivid portraits of an enormous cast. His description of the erotic dancing makes one want to leave for the Caribbean at once'GEORGE MELLY 'Stunning descriptions of the days and nights of playing as he is made dizzy by heat, lack of sleep and erotic dancing'TODAY 'Literary flourishes, amusing anecdotes... the people he meets are real, the landscape alive, the journey therapeutic'SUNDAY TIMES 'So vivid that you can feel yourself deafened by the music and pummelled by the sweaty bodies of the dancers... An enthralling travel book, elegantly written and unfailingly entertaining'DAILY MAIL 'The Bruce Chatwin de ses jours'PUNCH