Calypso: A History

Calypso's roots go back to the African slaves brought to these islands to work on the large sugar plantations. The Africans, robbed of all other links to family and heritage, sang songs... a series of chants with a short chorus.

This structure persists until today. Calypsonian Superblue produces probably the best contemporary examples of this. These songs united the slaves whilst they worked setting a common rhythm or pace for the task at hand. The songs were usually led by one individual known as a griot. In later incarnations the griot became the chantuelle and most recently the calypsonian.

The Calypsonian was and still remains the original voice of social conscience. It in the calypso tents, then as is now, political and social commentary are an enshrined right of expression. Indeed the social function of expression of still prevails. Many a politician has lost an election after a heated calypso season.

In addition there was always the witty, lewd calypsoes that told tales of men's masculinity, women's beauty and the excitement of the relationship between the sexes. The lyrical devices that suggest and rely on innuendo and double entendre have been crafted and polished to a fine gloss by the artist over the years. Over the years though, "party" songs have gained appeal with the younger age groups in particular.

Along the way calypso music has benefited from influences drawn from the among the Indian, Chinese and Syrian communities. A fusion of various cultural influences was first undertaken by Andre Tanker but now an integral part of the rhythm of every popular calypso. Fusion of musical styles in calypso is considered to be an enrichment of the musical expression.

In today's kaiso, as calypso also known, the influences of reggae, chutney, dancehall, and pop music are all to be found. It may seem that calypso is in danger of losing its character. Quite the contrary, calypso has absorbed these influences and altered them to create an expression that is rapidly becoming universal.