Jose Costa Solo Steel Drum Band Reggae/ Caribbean

Welcome to "Island Sounds"

I am a solo steel drum artist based in Rhode Island and serving the New England area.

Nothing can take the place of a human being playing live steel drums and percussion and the excitement it gives to the audience.

The music I play is very unique, uplifting and would enhance any party, wedding, corporate event or any other special occasion.

During my performance, I utilize digital "custom made" sequenced tracks on my I Pad, which also contains my sheet music, through a state of the art Bose sound system. You will truly get the sound of a full band without the budget or space needed for a full band. In addition, depending on the circumstances, I can also incorporate ethnic hand percussion instruments, chimes, cymbals, etc. in my solo act. This is a definite change from the mundane and typical jazz or guitar player/singer soloist cocktail hour acts.

Now that I am retired from being a public school teacher. I am also available to do school clinics/exhibitions.

I reside and perform in Puerto Rico during the winter months, and while I'm there feel free to contact me for any events.

I would enjoy spicing up your special occasion with some 'Island Flava'.

• Numerous Reggae/Calypso/Jazz mixes - instrumental accompaniment mixes
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow or - Here Comes the Bride
• Comin' Home Baby(lead pan)
• Jammin - Bob Marley
• Jammin' to Version 83
• My Favorite Things
• Zamira - original

Anniversaries, Apres Ski Parties, Awards Nights, Bachelor Parties, Bachelorette Parties, Banquets, Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, Birthday Parties, Children's Birthday Parties, Casinos, Celebrations, Christenings, Christmas Parties, Church Services, Clubs, Coffee Shops, Community Events, Conventions, Corporate Functions, Country Clubs, Cruise Ships, Dinner Dances, Festivals, Fraternity Functions, Fund Raisers, Funerals, Graduation Parties, Grand Openings, Hotels, Jingles, Movie Soundtracks, Picnic, Private Parties, Proms, Resorts, Restaurants, Reunions, Showers, Sorority Function, Studio Session, Temples, TV Soundtracks, Weddings...and more.

• Mr. Costa's performance was most appreciated by myself and my guests. He was both accommodating and professional. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for a fun way to liven up an event. At times his Carribean music was the focus of attention and at other times backround to other things going on. It certainly set the tone for an entertaining evening. Several people took his card with the intent of using his services in the future. -- Sharlene W, Southbury, CT, 6/10/2011
• Jose was a pleasure to work with..he was totally responsible, arriving in good time to set up and following through on our emails and phone conversations to do exactly what we had discussed. I appreciated this as I was quite busy with other aspects of the wedding and he arrived ready to perform. The cocktail reception was particularly lively and his music set a fabulous tone to the event...BRAVO! -- Louise M, Boothbay, ME, 8/14/2010
• Jose played at our wedding during cocktail hour and after we got pronounced n walked back down the isle. It was a surprise for my husband n his famliy, who are from Jamacia. Everyone was so surprised n so happy with him! It was the best way to start the party! Thank you Jose for making our day more special! -- Jaime P, New Haven, CT, 8/28/2010
• I had a small birthday party for my son. Jose was very accommodating, considering the rain and how far he had to travel. His music brought life to the party. His drums will take you to a place in your mind where you can relax, dance, feel joy, and realize how good he really is. -- Rosaline L, Bridgeport, CT, 8/22/2010
• Jose was great! A true professional and an extremely talented musician. His music set the perfect tone for a Birthday clambake. All of my 60 guests commented on how great Jose is. Many asked about him for their own upcoming events. He truly is the whole package and I can't say enough about his professionalism. He was a pleasure to watch perform and picked up on the vibe of the day providing us with a constant variety of steel drum and acoustic pleasure! I highly recommend him! -- Susan C, Sharon, MA, 9/26/2010
• Jose was absolutely terrific! He was the best to work with th music was wonderful, and he made the wedding a perfect day! -- Melissa S, Chatham, MA, 8/1/2010
• Jose was amazing!! The guests at our wedding were blown away!!! FANTASTIC! -- Haley B, Old Lyme, CT, 9/11/2010
• Jose thank you again! You made our wedding a hit. Highly recommended! -- Eric M, Wolcott, CT, 5/16/2010
• Excellent, it added a great touch to our event! -- Diane S, Webster, MA, 6/10/2010
• Jose was very reliable and punctual. He provided exactly what he promised and it was top shelf steel drummin. -- Joseph G, Gloucester, MA, 5/17/2008
• Jose performed for my husband's 30th birthday party last weekend. We were very impressed with the overall experience of his performance. Jose arrived early to the event and had plenty of time to set up. This was a very important factor for me because I was quite anxious about the party and wanted everything to go smoothly. Jose arriving early just made things that much easier. Jose's state of the art equipment includes a Mac BookPro, Bose sound system, and amazing steel drums. I would definitely recommend Jose as a performer and would use his services again. -- Kristina P, Grafton, MA, 8/1/2009
• Great guy, great music and completely organized. Really enhanced the atmosphere of our event. I highly recommend him. -- S B, East Greenwich, RI, 6/19/2010
• Jose was a great addition to our beach wedding...we had him perform our processional music at the ceremony as well as the cocktail hour music. Our guests keep talking about how great he was! He was on time, very professional and had a great personality! We had asked a couple small favors of him, and he did not hesitate to come through with them. I would highly recommend Jose to any couple that wants great steel drum music! Thanks Jose! -- Christine S, Westerly, RI, 6/6/2009
• Jose Costa was key the success of our party. The music, was virtually non-stop and provided a very pleasant atmosphere for our low-key relaxed gathering. Though Jose offered to accommodate our special requests, we had few and the event went off seamlessly. Thanks Gigmasters for making the music the easiest part of our suckling pig roast! Roland Otto Duxbury, Mass. -- Roland O, Duxbury, MA, 6/27/2009
• Jose totaled his car in an accident two blocks from Yale University and thirty minutes later he is before an audience of 200 giving a fantastic performance. Thank you Jose....from all of the Graduate Students at Yale....you rock! Anna Fichera Yale University Hall of Graduate Studies Financial Coordinator -- Anna F, New Haven, CT, 5/2/2008
• We thought, as did our guests, that Jose was absolutely tremendous! He is a great artist and percussionist and performed tirelessly with skill and enthusiasm. It was an extremely warm day on the beach but Jose barely stopped to notice. Many people at the Wharf Restaurant in Madison, Ct. not associated with our party. were thrilled by his performance and requested how they might hire him for future performances. We highly recommend him and would certainly hire him again! Good job Joe!! Thank you Gigmasters. Deb and Ken -- Deborah D, Madison, CT, 8/31/2008
• As a leading architectural firm in the New England region, we wanted to have a special event to celebrate of 30 years of business. We hired Jose to perform at our "Evening of Caribbean Fun!" He was the perfect addition to our evening. With over 200 guests in attendance, Jose's steel drumming provided entertainment and the perfect back-drop to our event. We were pleased to find someone to create such beautiful sounds, given our limited space in our offices. I would highly recommend him for anyone looking for a steel drummer to set the mood for their next event or party! -- Jennifer T, Hartford, CT, 3/20/2008
• Jose provided wonderful music for our wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner. He is extremely professional and talented. He came about two hours ahead of the ceremony, which was on the beach, and set up for the reception, which was in a tent. He brought a small set of steel drums for the beach and a larger set plus other percussion instruments for the reception. He also offered to set up his microphone for use on the beach during the ceremony. He barely took any breaks, and when he did they were brief. His music made the occasion perfect. -- Eve S, Cape Cod, MA, 5/25/2008
• We couldn't be happier with our choice in Jose. He did an amazing job at our party this past weekend. He communicated with us several times before the party, showed up early, took short breaks and sounded GREAT! All our guests were impressed and several were asking us for his contact info for their own parties. We would definately use him again and highly recomend him to anyone. Thank you Jose! You really made our party~it was just what we wanted. Pam and Aaron Lebeau -- Pam L, Little Compton, RI, 6/20/2009
• Jose was awesome... he was our surprise guest and the our guests absolutely loved him... He was early, dressed appropriately and you could truly see in every thing that he did that he loves his job! We were more than happy with Jose! Unfortunately as the bride and groom we did not get to enjoy him as much as we'd like to have, pictures took up more time that we hoped they would so we are going to plan a party at some point in our backyard and contract Jose to come and play so we to can get the full effect. Just love the steel drums! thank you so much for making my wedding so wonderful and memorable! Julie Alleruzzo -- Julie A, South Yarmouth, MA, 6/13/2009
• I hired Jose to play a memorial service for a relative who often travelled to Jamaica. Jose was very professional and easy to work with. He is very versatile and his playing added a great deal to the service. I received many complements from the people who attended and would recommend him to anyone needing a steel drum player at their function. -- Tom N, Little Compton, RI, 6/17/2006
• We were so glad that we decided to hire Jose Costa to play at our wedding! He was extremely professional and helpful, and we were so happy with the music that he played. It really helped to add a special aspect to the wedding, and we will always remember it when we think back to our special day. We would highly recommend Jose to anyone, and would definitely hire him again for another party. -- Brooke M, Narragansett, RI, 8/8/2009
• Jose showed up early, and played incredible music for longer than was expected (when our cocktail hour was extended by a half hour). Our guests loved him! -- Erica Z, Block Island, RI, 6/18/2011
• He was very accomodating and pleasant to work with. The best part was overhearing customers thank him for the entertainment. They really enjoyed it! Thank you so much! -- Bonnie F, Providence, RI, 5/26/2011
• Jose was awesome. And I was thrilled to receive 3 CDs of the music he played, since as the bride, I felt like I missed a lot of it! Everyone told me the steel drums brought an awesome vibe and sense of relaxation. It was perfect for our beach wedding! Highly recommend! Thanks Jose! -- Katie R, Westerly, RI, 9/16/2011

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