|
RAPSO
What
is Rapso?
There is a popular myth that rapso is the fusion
of American rap music with soca, hence the name rapso. Sounds
plausible, but not true. Rapso is a unique style of street
poetry from Trinidad and Tobago that originated in the 1970's.
Rapso was created to relate to the everyday experiences
of everyday people. The late Lancelot Layne is the man responsible
for this genre.
Origin
of Rapso
During the 1970's Trinidad and Tobago experienced much political
and social unrest. The 1970's saw the rise of the Black
Power Movement and a corresponding pro-African sentiment.
Trade unions also began to take a stand. This is the environment
that gave birth to rapso. Some of the first rapso songs
were chanted on the picket lines.
Lancelot
Layne's 1970 hit Blow Away was the first rapso recording.
Layne is also well remembered for his 1971 recording Get
off the Radio. In 1976, Cheryl Byron was the first rapso
artist to perform in a calypso tent. At the time, she was
scoffed at "whoever heard of poetry in a calypso tent?"
Today Cheryl Byron is recognized as the Mother of Rapso.
Brother
Resistance
Born Roy Lewis in Port of Spain, Trinidad, the man known
today as Brother Resistance is one of the founding elders
of rapso. Renowned as one of the most important contemporary
Caribbean poets, Brother Resistance began writing poetry
as a schoolboy. Everyday he and a group of friends would
write poetry and exchange it among themselves. He later
went on to join the church choir, but still did not realize
that he would become a singer. For a time, he worked as
a disc jockey and adopted Resistance as his DJ moniker.
In
1980, Brother Resistance and his Network Riddum Band released
their debut album, Busting Out. It was the Network Riddum
Band that coined the term rapso. Since then Brother Resistance,
also known as Lutalo Makossa Masimba, has gone on to become
one of the Trinidad's best known rapso performers. He has
written a book, Rapso Explosion, and along with Karega Mandela
and Brother Book, was instrumental in establishing a day
of celebration for rapso in Trinidad and Tobago. Some of
Brother Resistance's more memorable songs include Tonight
is De Night, Ring De Bell, Mother Earth, and Handclapping
Song.
Rise
of Rapso
The 1990's gave birth to a new generation of young rapso
artists. Combining the positive messages of rapso with dance
rhythms, artists such as 3 Canal, Kindred and Black Lyrics
have done much to popularize rapso music.
http://caribplanet.homestead.com/101.html
|
