Calypso Music

Tanner Sands

Although there are many musical genres and cultures emerged from the
small Island nation of Trinidad and Tobago perhaps the most important is calypso.
In Trinidad, calypso lyrics are quoted the same way proverbs or biblical passages
might be. (Hill 2) It is difficult to define calypso music simply, but it can be thought
of a as a musical commentary on current events. It is often satirical though
generally lighthearted. The French creole cultural base, the relative prosperity, the
brevity of the slave era and the comparative mildness of British colonial rule in
Trinidad seem to have favored the development of an easygoing national culture
that prizes humor and fun over puritanism or pathos. (Manuel 183) This heavily
contrasts with some Caribbean nations like Jamaica who use music to voice to their
struggle against oppression and harsh colonial traditions. The popular sound found
in Calypso music has numerous influences. Calypso resulted from the creolization of
many musical cultures including the belair (a kind of French creole song), the
lavway (a masquerade procession song), neo-African genres like juba and
bamboula, British ballads, Venezuelan string-band music, other West Indian Creole
song types and the calinda which was associated with stick fighting. (Manuel 186)

Initially calypso music was used to accompany the annual, two-day Carnival.
The music has always been a key part of the celebration. Between 1900 and 1930 it
quickly developed from a simple call and response chant to an elaborate

performance accompanied by a percussive bamboo instrument known as a

tamboo-bamboo. The 1930s were seen as the golden age of calypso. Recording
technology had made its way into the Caribbean and calypso music enjoyed
commercial success in the United States and across the Caribbean.(Manuel 187189) Today calypso music continues to be performed and is still highly popular
during the week of Carnival. Unfortunately, calypso music does not see this amount
of success year round. (NALJS.gov) Despite the efforts of many touring performers,
calypso music is peaks in popularity every year with the annual Calypso Monarch
Competition. This competition started in 1939 with Growling Tiger as the winner.
Each year the competition grew in popularity. Previous winners include Roaring Lion,
Attila the Hun, and Lord Invader. For years, calypso was a male dominated art form.
The competition changed from the Calypso King Competition to the Calypso
Monarch Competition in 1978 when the first female won. Her name was Calypso
Rose and she went on to create numerous hits in a career that spans over forty
years.

For many years censorship was a problem for calypso singers. The first
censorship of entertainment was a British law passed in 1797 that required free
coloreds to get police permission to hold dances after eight oclock at night. Slaves
could dance only in appropriate places and only before that hour. (Hill 194) The
people of Trinidad slowly gained freedoms, but calypso singers continued to fight
heavy regulations. A 1934 ordinance required calypso singers to submit their lyrics
hours before a performance. Legendary calypso singer Roaring Lion recalled
sometimes the police would come to the showsand try to stop the song. (Hill
195) He was able to get around the police censors in many innovative and creative

ways. Since the police would often ban lyrics without reading them, one night he
submitted a biblical verse as lyrics to a song. When the police had realized that they
had banned a biblical verse they let him perform his whole set without
confrontation. (Hill 195)

Despite the difficult economic conditions and oppression, the people of

Trinidad are still able to make their song heard. Hopefully, they will keep this
lighthearted satirical outlook on life for many years to come.

Sources
Manuel, Peter, Kenneth M. Bilby, and Michael D. Largey. Caribbean Currents:
Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1995. Print.

Hill, Donald R. Caylpso Calaloo. Gainesville: University of Florida, 1993. Print.

"The Evolution of Calypso Music." Calypso. National Library of Trinidad and Tobago,
n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Research/SubjectGuide/Music/Calypso/tabid/104/Default.as
px?PageContentID=73>.