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Calypso music

Calypso is a style of Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to the mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid-20th century. Its rhythms can be traced back to West African Kaiso and the arrival of French planters and their slaves from the French Antilles in the 18th century.

Calypso
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsEarly 19th century, Trinidad and Tobago
Derivative formsSoca
Subgenres
Fusion genres
Other topics
Calypso rhythm

It is characterized by highly rhythmic and harmonic vocals, and was historically most often sung in a French creole and led by a griot. As calypso developed, the role of the griot became known as a chantuelle and eventually, calypsonian. As English replaced "patois" (Antillean creole) as the dominant language, calypso migrated into English, and in so doing it attracted more attention from the government. It allowed the masses to challenge the doings of the unelected Governor and Legislative Council, and the elected town councils of Port of Spain and San Fernando. Calypso continued to play an important role in political expression.

Calypso in the Caribbean includes a range of genres, including benna in Antigua and Barbuda; mento, a style of Jamaican folk music that greatly influenced ska and reggae; ska, the precursor to rocksteady, and reggae; spouge, a style of Barbadian popular music; Dominica cadence-lypso, which mixed calypso with the cadence of Haiti; and soca music, a style of kaiso/calypso, with influences from chutney, soul, funk, Latin and cadence-lypso.

Etymology

It is thought that the name "calypso" was originally "kaiso" which is now believed to come from Efik "ka isu" ("go on!") and Ibibio "kaa iso" ("continue, go on"), used in urging someone on or in backing a contestant.[1] There is also a Trinidadian term "cariso" that means "old-time" calypsos.[2] The term "calypso" is recorded from the 1930s onwards. Alternatively, the insert for The Rough Guide to Calypso and Soca (published by World Music Network) favours John Cowley's arguments in Carnival, Canboulay and Calypso: Traditions in the Making, that the word might be a corruption of the French carrouseaux and through the process of patois and Anglicization became caliso and then finally "calypso"; however, Cowley also notes that the first mention of the word "calypso" is given in a description of a dance in 1882 by Abbé Masse.[3]

Origins

Calypso music was developed in Trinidad in the 17th century from the West African Kaiso and canboulay music brought by enslaved Africans brought to the Caribbean islands to work on sugar plantations.[4] The Africans brought to toil on sugar plantations, were stripped of all connections to their homeland and family and were not allowed to talk to each other. They used calypso to mock the slave masters and to communicate with each other. Many early calypsos were sung in French Creole by an individual called a griot. As calypso developed, the role of the griot became known as a chantuelle and eventually, calypsonian.

Modern calypso, however, began in the 19th century as a fusion of disparate elements ranging from the masquerade song lavway, French Creole belair and the calinda stick-fighting chantwell. Also early in its recording years were influences from Venezuelan paseos.[5] Calypso's early rise was closely connected with the adoption of Carnival by Trinidadian slaves, including canboulay drumming and the music masquerade processions. The French brought Carnival to Trinidad, and calypso competitions at Carnival grew in popularity, especially after the abolition of slavery in 1834.

Recordings

The first identifiably calypso genre song was recorded in 1912, by Lovey's String Band while visiting New York City. In 1914, the second calypso recordings—including the first sung in English—were done by chantwell Julian Whiterose, better known as the Iron Duke and famous calinda stick-fighter. Jules Sims would also record vocal calypsos. The majority of these calypsos of the World War I era were instrumentals by Lovey and Lionel Belasco.[6] Perhaps due to the constraints of the wartime economy, no recordings of note were produced until the late 1920s and early 1930s, when the "golden era" of calypso would cement the style, form, and phrasing of the music.

Calypso evolved into a way of spreading news around Trinidad. Politicians, journalists and public figures often debated the content of each song, and many islanders considered these songs the most reliable news source. Calypsonians pushed the boundaries of free speech as their lyrics spread news of any topic relevant to island life, including speaking out against political corruption.

Even with this censorship, calypsos continued to push boundaries, with a variety of ways to slip songs past the scrutinizing eyes of the editor. Double entendre, or double-speak, was one way, as was the practice of denouncing countries such as Germany and its annexation of Poland, while making pointed references toward the colonial government's policies in Trinidad. Sex, scandal, gossip, politics, local news, and insulting other calypsonians were the order of the day in classic calypso, just as it is today with classic hip-hop. And just as the hip-hop of today, the music sparked shock and outrage in moralistic sections of society.

Countless recordings were dumped at sea in the name of censorship, although in truth, rival US companies did this in the spirit of underhanded competition, claiming that the rivals' material was unfit for US consumption. Decca Records lost untold pressings in this manner, as did its rival, RCA's Bluebird label.

An entrepreneur named Eduardo de Sá Gomes played a significant role in spreading calypso in its early days. Sá Gomes, a Portuguese immigrant who owned a local music and phonograph equipment shop in Port of Spain, promoted the genre and gave financial support to the local artists. In March 1934, he sent Roaring Lion and Attila the Hun to New York City to record; they became the first calypsonians to record abroad, bringing the genre out of the West Indies and into pop culture.[7] Lord Invader was quick to follow, and stayed in New York City after a protracted legal case involving the theft of his song "Rum and Coca-Cola", a hit by the Andrews Sisters. He made his home there along with Wilmoth Houdini, and became one of the great calypsonians of the US.

Early forms of calypso were also similar to jazz (which came after) such as Sans Humanitae. In this extempo (extemporaneous) melody calypsonians lyricise impromptu, commenting socially or insulting each other, "sans humanité" or "no mercy" (which is again a reference to French influence).

Popularity

The first major stars of calypso started crossing over to new audiences worldwide in the late 1930s. Attila the Hun, Roaring Lion and Lord Invader were first, followed by Lord Kitchener, one of the longest-lasting calypso stars in history—he continued to release hit records until his death in 2000. 1944's "Rum and Coca-Cola" by the Andrews Sisters, a cover version of a Lord Invader song, became an American hit despite the song being a very critical commentary on the explosion of prostitution, inflation and other negative influences accompanying the American military bases in Trinidad at the time.[8] Perhaps the most straightforward way to describe the focus of calypso is that it articulated itself as a form of protest against the authoritarian colonial culture which existed at the time.

External audio
  You may hear arrangements of Calypso music by Leonard De Paur on the album Calypso Christmas performed with the De Paur Chorus in 1956 Here on archive.org

In 1956 Mighty Sparrow won Trinida's Music contest. Calypso, especially a toned-down, commercial variant, became a worldwide craze with pop song "Banana Boat Song", or "Day-O", a traditional Jamaican folk song, was recorded by pop singer Harry Belafonte on his album Calypso (1956). Calypso was the first calypso record to sell more than a million copies. 1956 also saw the massive international hit "Jean and Dinah" by Mighty Sparrow.[9] This song too was a sly commentary as a "plan of action" for the calypsonian on the widespread prostitution and the prostitutes' desperation after the closing of the U.S. naval base on Trinidad at Chaguaramas. In addition, the choral director Leonard De Paur recorded a calypso album in 1956 for Columbia Records featuring his choral arrangements of traditional Christmas music from Trinidad and Barbados, as well as the song Mary's Little Boy Child by Jester Hairston (Calypso Christmas, CL 923 Mono LP, 1956).[10]

In the Broadway-theatre musical Jamaica (1957), Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg cleverly parodied "commercial" Belafonte-style calypso. Several films jumped on the calypso craze in 1957 such as Island in the Sun (20th Century Fox) that featured Belafonte and the low-budget films Calypso Joe (Allied Artists), Calypso Heat Wave (Columbia Pictures), and Bop Girl Goes Calypso (United Artists). Robert Mitchum released an album, Calypso...Is Like So (1957), on Capitol records, capturing the sound, spirit, and subtleties of the genre. Dizzy Gillespie recorded a calypso album Jambo Caribe (1964) with James Moody and Kenny Barron.

Soul shouter Gary "US" Bonds released a calypso album Twist up Calypso (1962) on Legrand records, shortly after returning home from his military post in Port of Spain. Nithi Kanagaratnam from Sri Lanka sang calypso-styled songs in Tamil in 1968, which was a success and earned him the title "Father of Tamil Popular Music". Since Baila rhythm was popular in Sri Lanka, most of his songs were classified as Tamil Baila.

In the mid-1970s, women entered the calypso men's-oriented arena. Calypso Rose was the first woman to win the Trinidad Road March competition in 1977 with her song "Gimme More Tempo". The following year with "Come Leh We Jam", she won the "Calypso King " competition, the first time a woman had received the award. The competition's title was changed to Calypso Monarch in her honor.[11][12] The French and pioneer electronic musician Jean Michel Jarre released an album in 1990 called Waiting for Cousteau. The album has four tracks: "Calypso", "Calypso part 2", "Calypso part 3 Fin de Siècle" and "Waiting for Cousteau". It was dedicated to Jacques-Yves Cousteau in his 80th birthday. This album had a special participation of the Amocco Renegades (a traditional steel-drum band from Trinidad and Tobago). In the first track is possible to notice a strong style influence. Calypso had another short burst of commercial interest when Tim Burton's horror/comedy film Beetlejuice (1988) was released, and used Belafonte's "Jump In The Line" as the soundtrack's headliner and also "The Banana Boat Song" in the dinner-party scene. Disney's song "Under the Sea", a calypso theme from The Little Mermaid won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1989 as well as the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media in 1991.

In the late-1970s a new style, dubbed Soca music, emerged from the blending of calypso with elements of East Indian music as well as African American soul, funk, and rock. The soca music of the 1980s featured fast tempos, electric guitars and synthesizers, prominent melodic bass lines, and lyrics celebrating sensuality and dance. Many influential calypso singers including Ras Shorty I, Mighty Sparrow, Lord Kitchener, Calypso Rose, Super Blue, and David Rudder embraced the new style.[13][14] Brooklyn became an important site for the production of soca records from the late 1970s through the early 1990s.[15]

Although Calypso's native land is Trinidad, it is also very popular in a small "windward" island in the West Indies. This island is called Dominica, the nature island of the Caribbean. Dominicans, similar to Trinidadians also developed a keen interest in Caribbean genres such as Soca music, and Calypso in the late 1960's. [16] Called Kaiso in French creole, Calypso is illustrated as a unique form of music, especially during the Carnival season. Dominicans mainly use this genre to express their concerns and feedback on the everyday affairs and happenings of their country. Most of the music pieces composed normally have a negative stigma attached to them, expressing dissatisfaction with how their current government choose to conduct the affairs of the country. The first Calypso monarch in Dominica who was crowned in 1959 was called "The Observer" and the longest reigning Calypso monarch is King Dice. The Calypso tent is not just limited to adult participation. There is also a section called Junior monarch[4] where young children under the age of 14 are able to prepare and compete with their personally made Calypso pieces.

Calypso competitions usually commence in January and cumulate in the Calypso monarch competition that are usually held the Saturday before Carnival in February. The winner becomes the Calypso King of that year and joins Miss Dominica, the carnival pageant winner of that year, in the traditional costume parade on Carnival Monday.

Sociopolitical influence

Calypso music has been used by Calypsonians to provide sociopolitical commentary. Prior to the independence of Trinidad and Tobago, calypsonians would use their music to express the daily struggles of living in Trinidad, critique racial and economic inequalities, express opinions on social order, and voice overall concerns for those living on the island.[17] During the colonial era, the Black lower class used calypso music to protest their poor economic situation and the discrimination which they were subjected to. Calypso music frequently was used as a form of musical protest.[1]

During the independence movements of Trinidad and Tobago through the early 1950s up until 1962 when the nation gained independence, calypso lyrics frequently critiqued British colonial rule. Lyrics were made to express feelings towards colonial rule as being immoral and oppressive to Caribbean people. In particular, during the movement to independence, calypso music would include common messages of a desire for independence, opposition to colonial rule and empowerment for people of African descent.[1]

Neville Marcano, known as the Growling Tiger, became notorious for creating songs calling for independence of Trinidad and Tobago. In his song titled “Abraham Lincoln Speech at Gettysburg”, Tiger used inspirations from Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address to draw on values of liberty, equality and democracy.[1] These three principles paralleled some of many ideas circulating during the nationalist movement in Trinidad and Tobago. His lyrics struck with those in support of an independent Trinidadian nation hoping to instill similar principles in their own free nation.

Lord Kitchener, a largely known Calypsonian, became noted for his politically critical lyrics in his music. Kitchener used calypso to shed light on the grievances of the windrush generation,[18] a generation of Caribbean families migrating from the islands to England in response to increased labor demands after World War II.[19] Kitchener's 1948 song “Windrush” was written in two versions. The first version gained more global popularity as the lyrics expressed gratitude and appreciation for British colonial rule. However, second version found greater popularity amongst Caribbean people themselves as the lyrics conveyed a story of West Indian immigrants facing discrimination and cultural alienation while living in Britain.[1] Although Kitchener's alternate version of “Windrush” did not gain as much commercial popularity, the duality of the two versions exemplify how calypso music was used as an outlet for social commentary.[citation needed]

After Trinidad and Tobago gained independence in 1962, calypso music continued to be used as an outlet for political commentary. With Eric Williams serving as the first Prime Minister of an independent Trinidad and Tobago, calypsonian Mighty Sparrow released his song “William the Conqueror” where he praises Williams’ victory and prides the island in its newfound independence.[3] Sparrow sings:

I am no politician, but I could understand if it wasn't for Brother Willie and his ability, Trinidad wouldn't go neither come. We used to vote for food and rum but nowadays we eating all the Indians and them. And in the ending, we voting PNM. Praise little Eric, rejoice and be glad. We have a better future here in Trinidad.[3]

Calypso music has also been used by politicians to promote political agendas through Calypso competitions. The origins of calypso competitions dates back to the early 19th century post emancipation where formerly enslaved communities would hold calypso wars showcasing their singing and dancing.[7] Later in 1953 Calypso competitions held the same showcasing nature, but became politicized as the People's National Movement (PNM) took over as the main organizer of competitions.[17] The PNM used the competitions to combat social and class divisions by attracting participants of varying social status to participate and attend the competitions. The idea was to claim a national cultural identity and promote national unity.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e Richard Allsopp, Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage (Oxford University Press, 1996), p. 131.
  2. ^ Mendes (1986), p. 30.
  3. ^ a b c John Cowley, Carnival, Canboulay and Calypso: Traditions in the Making 2017-01-09 at the Wayback Machine, Cambridge University Press, p. 98.
  4. ^ a b Calypso Worldwide Retrieved 27 November 2020
  5. ^ Richard Noblett, Calypso music Musical Traditions. Retrieved 21 November 2022
  6. ^ Richie Unterberger, Lionel Belasco Artist Biography AllMusic. Retrieved 07 June 2022
  7. ^ a b Funk, Ray. "Roaring Lion (Raphael Arius Kairiyama De Leon AKA Hubert Raphael Charles, 15.6.08 – 11.7.99)". 2010-12-30 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Consuming the Caribbean 2014-04-05 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ^ j.poet (1994). Sparrow. In Hot Like Fire, Album liner notes. London: Ice Records.
  10. ^ Calypso Christmas - album conducted and arranged by Leonard De Paur in 1956 on archive.org
  11. ^ Guilbault, Jocelyne (2007). Governing sound : the cultural politics of Trinidad's Carnival musics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-31059-6. OCLC 74029379.
  12. ^ Munro, Hope (2016). What she go do : women in Afro-Trinidadian music. Jackson. ISBN 978-1-4968-0753-3. OCLC 928136942.
  13. ^ Dudley, Shannon (2004). Carnival Music in Trinidad: Experience, Music, Expressing Culture. Oxford University Press. pp. 87–92. ISBN 978-0-19-513832-0.
  14. ^ Guilbault, Jocelyne (2007). Governing sound : the cultural politics of Trinidad's Carnival musics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 172–177. ISBN 978-0-226-31059-6. OCLC 74029379.
  15. ^ Allen, Ray (2019). Jump up! Caribbean Carnival Music in New York City. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 143–188. ISBN 978-0-19-065688-1. OCLC 1100450802.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  16. ^ Fairley, Jan (2001), "Soca", Oxford Music Online, Oxford University Press, retrieved 2022-12-16
  17. ^ a b Blatter, Alfred (2007). Revisiting Music Theory: a guide to the practice, p. 28. ISBN 0-415-97440-2.
  18. ^ "Calypso and the birth of British Black Music".
  19. ^ Wardle, Huon; Obermuller, Laura (2018). "The Windrush generation". Anthropology Today. 34 (4): 3–4. doi:10.1111/1467-8322.12445. ISSN 1467-8322.

References

  • Allen, Ray. ,Jump Up! Caribbean Carnival Music in New York City (Oxford University Press, 2019). ISBN 978-0190656850
  • Hill, Donald R. Calypso Calaloo: Early Carnival Music in Trinidad (1993). ISBN 0-8130-1221-X. (cloth); ISBN 0-8130-1222-8 (pbk). University Press of Florida. 2nd edition: Temple University Press (2006); ISBN 1-59213-463-7.
  • Guilbault, Jocelyn. Governing Sound: The Cultural Politics of Trinidad’s Carnival Musics (University of Chicago Press, 2007). ISBN 978-0-226-31059-6.
  • Mendes, John (1986). Cote ce Cote la Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary. John Mendes, Arima, Trinidad.
  • Munro, Hope. What She Do: Women in Afro-Trinidadian Music (University of Mississippi Press, 2016). IISBN 978-1496807533.
  • Quevedo, Raymond (Atilla the Hun). 1983. Atilla's Kaiso: a short history of Trinidad calypso (1983). University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad. (Includes the words to many old calypsos as well as musical scores for some of Atilla's calypsos.)
  • Rohlehr, Gordon. A Scuffling of Islands: Essays on Calypso (Lexicon Trinidad LTD, 2004), ISBN 976-631-034-3.* Gittens, Sinclair (August 12, 2010). "The origin of calypso". Nation Newspaper. Retrieved January 2, 2017.

External links

  • Calypso music at Curlie
  • Calypsonians.com

calypso, music, calypso, style, caribbean, music, that, originated, trinidad, tobago, during, early, 19th, century, spread, rest, caribbean, antilles, venezuela, 20th, century, rhythms, traced, back, west, african, kaiso, arrival, french, planters, their, slav. Calypso is a style of Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to the mid 19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid 20th century Its rhythms can be traced back to West African Kaiso and the arrival of French planters and their slaves from the French Antilles in the 18th century CalypsoStylistic originsKaisoCanboulayCultural originsEarly 19th century Trinidad and TobagoDerivative formsSocaSubgenresExtempobennamentoFusion genresChutneychutney socarapsogospelypsocadence lypsoskaspougereggaetonreggaeOther topicsCaribbean Carnivalcalypsonianslist of Caribbean music genrescalypso tentspicongShangoObeahcalypso de El CallaoCalypso rhythm It is characterized by highly rhythmic and harmonic vocals and was historically most often sung in a French creole and led by a griot As calypso developed the role of the griot became known as a chantuelle and eventually calypsonian As English replaced patois Antillean creole as the dominant language calypso migrated into English and in so doing it attracted more attention from the government It allowed the masses to challenge the doings of the unelected Governor and Legislative Council and the elected town councils of Port of Spain and San Fernando Calypso continued to play an important role in political expression Calypso in the Caribbean includes a range of genres including benna in Antigua and Barbuda mento a style of Jamaican folk music that greatly influenced ska and reggae ska the precursor to rocksteady and reggae spouge a style of Barbadian popular music Dominica cadence lypso which mixed calypso with the cadence of Haiti and soca music a style of kaiso calypso with influences from chutney soul funk Latin and cadence lypso Contents 1 Etymology 2 Origins 2 1 Recordings 3 Popularity 4 Sociopolitical influence 5 See also 6 Footnotes 7 References 8 External linksEtymology EditIt is thought that the name calypso was originally kaiso which is now believed to come from Efik ka isu go on and Ibibio kaa iso continue go on used in urging someone on or in backing a contestant 1 There is also a Trinidadian term cariso that means old time calypsos 2 The term calypso is recorded from the 1930s onwards Alternatively the insert for The Rough Guide to Calypso and Soca published by World Music Network favours John Cowley s arguments in Carnival Canboulay and Calypso Traditions in the Making that the word might be a corruption of the French carrouseaux and through the process of patois and Anglicization became caliso and then finally calypso however Cowley also notes that the first mention of the word calypso is given in a description of a dance in 1882 by Abbe Masse 3 Origins EditCalypso music was developed in Trinidad in the 17th century from the West African Kaiso and canboulay music brought by enslaved Africans brought to the Caribbean islands to work on sugar plantations 4 The Africans brought to toil on sugar plantations were stripped of all connections to their homeland and family and were not allowed to talk to each other They used calypso to mock the slave masters and to communicate with each other Many early calypsos were sung in French Creole by an individual called a griot As calypso developed the role of the griot became known as a chantuelle and eventually calypsonian Modern calypso however began in the 19th century as a fusion of disparate elements ranging from the masquerade song lavway French Creole belair and the calinda stick fighting chantwell Also early in its recording years were influences from Venezuelan paseos 5 Calypso s early rise was closely connected with the adoption of Carnival by Trinidadian slaves including canboulay drumming and the music masquerade processions The French brought Carnival to Trinidad and calypso competitions at Carnival grew in popularity especially after the abolition of slavery in 1834 Recordings Edit The first identifiably calypso genre song was recorded in 1912 by Lovey s String Band while visiting New York City In 1914 the second calypso recordings including the first sung in English were done by chantwell Julian Whiterose better known as the Iron Duke and famous calinda stick fighter Jules Sims would also record vocal calypsos The majority of these calypsos of the World War I era were instrumentals by Lovey and Lionel Belasco 6 Perhaps due to the constraints of the wartime economy no recordings of note were produced until the late 1920s and early 1930s when the golden era of calypso would cement the style form and phrasing of the music Calypso evolved into a way of spreading news around Trinidad Politicians journalists and public figures often debated the content of each song and many islanders considered these songs the most reliable news source Calypsonians pushed the boundaries of free speech as their lyrics spread news of any topic relevant to island life including speaking out against political corruption Even with this censorship calypsos continued to push boundaries with a variety of ways to slip songs past the scrutinizing eyes of the editor Double entendre or double speak was one way as was the practice of denouncing countries such as Germany and its annexation of Poland while making pointed references toward the colonial government s policies in Trinidad Sex scandal gossip politics local news and insulting other calypsonians were the order of the day in classic calypso just as it is today with classic hip hop And just as the hip hop of today the music sparked shock and outrage in moralistic sections of society Countless recordings were dumped at sea in the name of censorship although in truth rival US companies did this in the spirit of underhanded competition claiming that the rivals material was unfit for US consumption Decca Records lost untold pressings in this manner as did its rival RCA s Bluebird label An entrepreneur named Eduardo de Sa Gomes played a significant role in spreading calypso in its early days Sa Gomes a Portuguese immigrant who owned a local music and phonograph equipment shop in Port of Spain promoted the genre and gave financial support to the local artists In March 1934 he sent Roaring Lion and Attila the Hun to New York City to record they became the first calypsonians to record abroad bringing the genre out of the West Indies and into pop culture 7 Lord Invader was quick to follow and stayed in New York City after a protracted legal case involving the theft of his song Rum and Coca Cola a hit by the Andrews Sisters He made his home there along with Wilmoth Houdini and became one of the great calypsonians of the US Early forms of calypso were also similar to jazz which came after such as Sans Humanitae In this extempo extemporaneous melody calypsonians lyricise impromptu commenting socially or insulting each other sans humanite or no mercy which is again a reference to French influence Popularity EditThe first major stars of calypso started crossing over to new audiences worldwide in the late 1930s Attila the Hun Roaring Lion and Lord Invader were first followed by Lord Kitchener one of the longest lasting calypso stars in history he continued to release hit records until his death in 2000 1944 s Rum and Coca Cola by the Andrews Sisters a cover version of a Lord Invader song became an American hit despite the song being a very critical commentary on the explosion of prostitution inflation and other negative influences accompanying the American military bases in Trinidad at the time 8 Perhaps the most straightforward way to describe the focus of calypso is that it articulated itself as a form of protest against the authoritarian colonial culture which existed at the time External audio You may hear arrangements of Calypso music by Leonard De Paur on the album Calypso Christmas performed with the De Paur Chorus in 1956 Here on archive orgIn 1956 Mighty Sparrow won Trinida s Music contest Calypso especially a toned down commercial variant became a worldwide craze with pop song Banana Boat Song or Day O a traditional Jamaican folk song was recorded by pop singer Harry Belafonte on his album Calypso 1956 Calypso was the first calypso record to sell more than a million copies 1956 also saw the massive international hit Jean and Dinah by Mighty Sparrow 9 This song too was a sly commentary as a plan of action for the calypsonian on the widespread prostitution and the prostitutes desperation after the closing of the U S naval base on Trinidad at Chaguaramas In addition the choral director Leonard De Paur recorded a calypso album in 1956 for Columbia Records featuring his choral arrangements of traditional Christmas music from Trinidad and Barbados as well as the song Mary s Little Boy Child by Jester Hairston Calypso Christmas CL 923 Mono LP 1956 10 In the Broadway theatre musical Jamaica 1957 Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg cleverly parodied commercial Belafonte style calypso Several films jumped on the calypso craze in 1957 such as Island in the Sun 20th Century Fox that featured Belafonte and the low budget films Calypso Joe Allied Artists Calypso Heat Wave Columbia Pictures and Bop Girl Goes Calypso United Artists Robert Mitchum released an album Calypso Is Like So 1957 on Capitol records capturing the sound spirit and subtleties of the genre Dizzy Gillespie recorded a calypso album Jambo Caribe 1964 with James Moody and Kenny Barron Soul shouter Gary US Bonds released a calypso album Twist up Calypso 1962 on Legrand records shortly after returning home from his military post in Port of Spain Nithi Kanagaratnam from Sri Lanka sang calypso styled songs in Tamil in 1968 which was a success and earned him the title Father of Tamil Popular Music Since Baila rhythm was popular in Sri Lanka most of his songs were classified as Tamil Baila In the mid 1970s women entered the calypso men s oriented arena Calypso Rose was the first woman to win the Trinidad Road March competition in 1977 with her song Gimme More Tempo The following year with Come Leh We Jam she won the Calypso King competition the first time a woman had received the award The competition s title was changed to Calypso Monarch in her honor 11 12 The French and pioneer electronic musician Jean Michel Jarre released an album in 1990 called Waiting for Cousteau The album has four tracks Calypso Calypso part 2 Calypso part 3 Fin de Siecle and Waiting for Cousteau It was dedicated to Jacques Yves Cousteau in his 80th birthday This album had a special participation of the Amocco Renegades a traditional steel drum band from Trinidad and Tobago In the first track is possible to notice a strong style influence Calypso had another short burst of commercial interest when Tim Burton s horror comedy film Beetlejuice 1988 was released and used Belafonte s Jump In The Line as the soundtrack s headliner and also The Banana Boat Song in the dinner party scene Disney s song Under the Sea a calypso theme from The Little Mermaid won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1989 as well as the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media in 1991 In the late 1970s a new style dubbed Soca music emerged from the blending of calypso with elements of East Indian music as well as African American soul funk and rock The soca music of the 1980s featured fast tempos electric guitars and synthesizers prominent melodic bass lines and lyrics celebrating sensuality and dance Many influential calypso singers including Ras Shorty I Mighty Sparrow Lord Kitchener Calypso Rose Super Blue and David Rudder embraced the new style 13 14 Brooklyn became an important site for the production of soca records from the late 1970s through the early 1990s 15 Although Calypso s native land is Trinidad it is also very popular in a small windward island in the West Indies This island is called Dominica the nature island of the Caribbean Dominicans similar to Trinidadians also developed a keen interest in Caribbean genres such as Soca music and Calypso in the late 1960 s 16 Called Kaiso in French creole Calypso is illustrated as a unique form of music especially during the Carnival season Dominicans mainly use this genre to express their concerns and feedback on the everyday affairs and happenings of their country Most of the music pieces composed normally have a negative stigma attached to them expressing dissatisfaction with how their current government choose to conduct the affairs of the country The first Calypso monarch in Dominica who was crowned in 1959 was called The Observer and the longest reigning Calypso monarch is King Dice The Calypso tent is not just limited to adult participation There is also a section called Junior monarch 4 where young children under the age of 14 are able to prepare and compete with their personally made Calypso pieces Calypso competitions usually commence in January and cumulate in the Calypso monarch competition that are usually held the Saturday before Carnival in February The winner becomes the Calypso King of that year and joins Miss Dominica the carnival pageant winner of that year in the traditional costume parade on Carnival Monday Sociopolitical influence EditCalypso music has been used by Calypsonians to provide sociopolitical commentary Prior to the independence of Trinidad and Tobago calypsonians would use their music to express the daily struggles of living in Trinidad critique racial and economic inequalities express opinions on social order and voice overall concerns for those living on the island 17 During the colonial era the Black lower class used calypso music to protest their poor economic situation and the discrimination which they were subjected to Calypso music frequently was used as a form of musical protest 1 During the independence movements of Trinidad and Tobago through the early 1950s up until 1962 when the nation gained independence calypso lyrics frequently critiqued British colonial rule Lyrics were made to express feelings towards colonial rule as being immoral and oppressive to Caribbean people In particular during the movement to independence calypso music would include common messages of a desire for independence opposition to colonial rule and empowerment for people of African descent 1 Neville Marcano known as the Growling Tiger became notorious for creating songs calling for independence of Trinidad and Tobago In his song titled Abraham Lincoln Speech at Gettysburg Tiger used inspirations from Abraham Lincoln s famous Gettysburg address to draw on values of liberty equality and democracy 1 These three principles paralleled some of many ideas circulating during the nationalist movement in Trinidad and Tobago His lyrics struck with those in support of an independent Trinidadian nation hoping to instill similar principles in their own free nation Lord Kitchener a largely known Calypsonian became noted for his politically critical lyrics in his music Kitchener used calypso to shed light on the grievances of the windrush generation 18 a generation of Caribbean families migrating from the islands to England in response to increased labor demands after World War II 19 Kitchener s 1948 song Windrush was written in two versions The first version gained more global popularity as the lyrics expressed gratitude and appreciation for British colonial rule However second version found greater popularity amongst Caribbean people themselves as the lyrics conveyed a story of West Indian immigrants facing discrimination and cultural alienation while living in Britain 1 Although Kitchener s alternate version of Windrush did not gain as much commercial popularity the duality of the two versions exemplify how calypso music was used as an outlet for social commentary citation needed After Trinidad and Tobago gained independence in 1962 calypso music continued to be used as an outlet for political commentary With Eric Williams serving as the first Prime Minister of an independent Trinidad and Tobago calypsonian Mighty Sparrow released his song William the Conqueror where he praises Williams victory and prides the island in its newfound independence 3 Sparrow sings I am no politician but I could understand if it wasn t for Brother Willie and his ability Trinidad wouldn t go neither come We used to vote for food and rum but nowadays we eating all the Indians and them And in the ending we voting PNM Praise little Eric rejoice and be glad We have a better future here in Trinidad 3 Calypso music has also been used by politicians to promote political agendas through Calypso competitions The origins of calypso competitions dates back to the early 19th century post emancipation where formerly enslaved communities would hold calypso wars showcasing their singing and dancing 7 Later in 1953 Calypso competitions held the same showcasing nature but became politicized as the People s National Movement PNM took over as the main organizer of competitions 17 The PNM used the competitions to combat social and class divisions by attracting participants of varying social status to participate and attend the competitions The idea was to claim a national cultural identity and promote national unity See also EditCadence lypso Canboulay Calypso Monarch Extempo Soukous Marrabenta List of calypso musicians List of calypso like genres List of calypsos with sociopolitical influences List of Caribbean music genres Mento a Jamaican folk music related to Calypso Soca musicFootnotes Edit a b c d e Richard Allsopp Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage Oxford University Press 1996 p 131 Mendes 1986 p 30 a b c John Cowley Carnival Canboulay and Calypso Traditions in the Making Archived 2017 01 09 at the Wayback Machine Cambridge University Press p 98 a b Calypso Worldwide Retrieved 27 November 2020 Richard Noblett Calypso music Musical Traditions Retrieved 21 November 2022 Richie Unterberger Lionel Belasco Artist Biography AllMusic Retrieved 07 June 2022 a b Funk Ray Roaring Lion Raphael Arius Kairiyama De Leon AKA Hubert Raphael Charles 15 6 08 11 7 99 Archived 2010 12 30 at the Wayback Machine Consuming the Caribbean Archived 2014 04 05 at the Wayback Machine j poet 1994 Sparrow In Hot Like Fire Album liner notes London Ice Records Calypso Christmas album conducted and arranged by Leonard De Paur in 1956 on archive org Guilbault Jocelyne 2007 Governing sound the cultural politics of Trinidad s Carnival musics Chicago University of Chicago Press ISBN 978 0 226 31059 6 OCLC 74029379 Munro Hope 2016 What she go do women in Afro Trinidadian music Jackson ISBN 978 1 4968 0753 3 OCLC 928136942 Dudley Shannon 2004 Carnival Music in Trinidad Experience Music Expressing Culture Oxford University Press pp 87 92 ISBN 978 0 19 513832 0 Guilbault Jocelyne 2007 Governing sound the cultural politics of Trinidad s Carnival musics Chicago University of Chicago Press pp 172 177 ISBN 978 0 226 31059 6 OCLC 74029379 Allen Ray 2019 Jump up Caribbean Carnival Music in New York City New York NY Oxford University Press pp 143 188 ISBN 978 0 19 065688 1 OCLC 1100450802 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint date and year link Fairley Jan 2001 Soca Oxford Music Online Oxford University Press retrieved 2022 12 16 a b Blatter Alfred 2007 Revisiting Music Theory a guide to the practice p 28 ISBN 0 415 97440 2 Calypso and the birth of British Black Music Wardle Huon Obermuller Laura 2018 The Windrush generation Anthropology Today 34 4 3 4 doi 10 1111 1467 8322 12445 ISSN 1467 8322 References EditAllen Ray Jump Up Caribbean Carnival Music in New York City Oxford University Press 2019 ISBN 978 0190656850 Hill Donald R Calypso Calaloo Early Carnival Music in Trinidad 1993 ISBN 0 8130 1221 X cloth ISBN 0 8130 1222 8 pbk University Press of Florida 2nd edition Temple University Press 2006 ISBN 1 59213 463 7 Guilbault Jocelyn Governing Sound The Cultural Politics of Trinidad s Carnival Musics University of Chicago Press 2007 ISBN 978 0 226 31059 6 Mendes John 1986 Cote ce Cote la Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary John Mendes Arima Trinidad Munro Hope What She Do Women in Afro Trinidadian Music University of Mississippi Press 2016 IISBN 978 1496807533 Quevedo Raymond Atilla the Hun 1983 Atilla s Kaiso a short history of Trinidad calypso 1983 University of the West Indies St Augustine Trinidad Includes the words to many old calypsos as well as musical scores for some of Atilla s calypsos Rohlehr Gordon A Scuffling of Islands Essays on Calypso Lexicon Trinidad LTD 2004 ISBN 976 631 034 3 Gittens Sinclair August 12 2010 The origin of calypso Nation Newspaper Retrieved January 2 2017 External links EditCalypso music at Curlie Calypsonians com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Calypso music amp oldid 1135371711, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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