Looking for some sweet tunes to groove to while sipping tea and studying for exams? Why not take a trip down to the Caribbean... in sound! Calypso is a form of fun-loving yet political music bred from the Afro-Caribbean traditions of Trinidad and Tobago and other island nations as early as the 17th century. Unable to speak openly to each other, slaves used music, especially calypso, to network, spread news and otherwise communicate. The genre was initially influenced by the music of French, British and Spanish Caribbean occupiers, especially the French dance music known as "carnival." The music began to spread in the early 20th century. Some calypso takes cues from the New York jazz scene of the '40s and '50s and gained fame through a handful of key players.
Lord Invader
A common theme with early calypso artists is that of plagiarism. Fewer more tragic examples exist than the story of Lord Invader (born Rupert Grant). Born in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1900s, Lord Invader was one of the first stars of calypso in the 1930s. His immediately recognizable gravely voice and political lyrics were greatly influential, but his greatest hits were blatantly stolen and pawned as originals by a few white performers. "Rum and Coca-Cola" was a hit for the trio the Andrews Sisters, without any acknowledgement to Invader. He eventually received compensation, but was not allowed to keep the copyright.
Mighty Sparrow
Dubbed by some as the "Calypso King of the World," the Mighty Sparrow (born Slinger Francisco) added more than just another sweet name to the already awesome list of calypso artists. Sparrow wrote songs educating island citizens against cruelty to animals and on the importance of paying taxes and maintaining Caribbean unity.
Lord Kitchener
Born Aldwyn Roberts in 1922, Lord Kitchener (not to be confused with the British sea commander in WWI) was one of the most influential calypso artists across the pond in the UK. He was instrumental in facilitating the calypso resurgence of the '50s. He was known for his raucous stage antics and good humor, common characteristics of calypsonians.
Roaring Lion
Together with Attila the Hun, Roaring Lion (Rafael de Leon) is responsible for spreading early calypso out of Trinidad and Tobago. He was in many ways the original modern calypsonian, cultivating a sharp persona and stage act. He is the author of a history of calypso called "Calypso From France to Trinidad: 800 Years of History" (1986), which purported that French music was more of an influence on calypso than African music. He was also a master of "war calypso," not unlike a hip-hop battle today.
Classic recordings of Calypso music were made and collected by many small, independent labels, most notably Monitor Records. While almost all of these labels no longer exist as such, Smithsonian Folkways bought these recordings and made them available to the public. Calypso recordings by these and other musicians can be found at smithsonianglobalsound.org, a world music outlet for Smithsonian Folkways.
