COUNTRY OF THE WEEK: Trinidad: The Roots Of Calypso Music

I'm not very knowledgeable about calypso music, other than that it is part of Caribbean music and the steel pan drums - made from discarded oil cans from Trinidad's petroleum industry - that are used to make that well-known tropical sound. CaribPlanet writes that calypso rhythms can be traced back to the arrival of the first African slaves brought to work in the sugar plantations of Trinidad. "Forbidden to talk to each other, and robbed of all links to family and home, the African slaves began to sing songs. They used calypso, which can be traced back to West African kaiso, as a means of communication and to mock the slave masters."

Wikipedia writes: "While most authorities stress the African roots of calypso, in his 1986 book Calypso from France to Trinidad, 800 Years of History veteran calypsonian The Roaring Lion (Rafael de Leon) asserted that calypso descends from the music of the medieval French troubadours.....Over 100 years ago, calypso further 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. Eventually British rule enforced censorship and police began to scan these songs for damaging content. Even with this censorship, calypsos continued to push boundaries."

CaribPlanet pins the Golden Age of Calypso from the 1920s through the 1960s: "The year 1914 was a landmark year in the history of calypso. This is the year that the first calypso recording was made. The late 1920s gave birth to the first calypso tents. Originally, calypso tents were actual tents where calypsonians would practice before Carnival. Today calypso tents are showcases for the new music of Carnival season. By the late 1930s, exceptional calypsonians such as Atilla the Hun, Lord Invader and the Roaring Lion were making an indelible impression on the calypso music world. Lord Kitchener rose to prominence in the 1940s and dominated the calypso scene until the late 1970s. Lord Kitchener continued to make memorable hits until his death in 2001. In 1944, the Andrews Sisters (an American trio) did a cover version of Lord Invader's hit Rum and Coca Cola. Since then the United States and the rest of the world has identified calypso with the Caribbean. In 1956, Harry Belafonte [who is of Jamaican ancestry] recorded his Calypso album containing the famous Banana Boat Song ("Day-O") - probably the most internationally well known calypso song. His Calypso album also became the first album ever to sell over one million copies. "

The Caribbean-oriented website also discusses calypso's political roots: "[1956] was also the year the Mighty Sparrow burst onto the scene and took the calypso world by storm with his legendary hit Jean and Dinah. Jean and Dinah, which celebrated the departure of U.S. troops from Trinidad, ushered in a new era of politically charged calypso. This politicized form of calypso, allying itself with the People's National Movement (PNM) party, facilitated Trinidad's independence from Britain in 1962. Socially and politically conscious calypso has had a major influence on many of Trinidad's most important social and political movements."

Soca, or soul calypso, has grown from calypso over the past few decades and is popular throughout the Caribbean.