Calypso, << kuh LIHP soh, >> is a type of music that originated on the island of Trinidad, in the Caribbean Sea. It is also popular in other Caribbean countries. Calypso combines features of African music, Spanish musical styles, and American jazz and rhythm and blues. The origin of the term calypso is uncertain.
Loading the player...Trinidadian carnival music
Characteristics.
Calypso songs are in 2/4 or 4/4 time, with strong accents off the beat. They are usually accompanied by a steel band, a group of drums made from steel oil containers and played with sticks. Guitars, flutes, saxophones, and drums may also be used.
Most calypso songs are improvisations based on standard melodic types. The lyrics of a calypso song are extremely important. Expert calypso singers are clever at choosing words and making up rhymes on the spot. The lyrics may express a personal philosophy or comment on local or world events, social conditions, or gossip. Women are a favorite subject.
Development.
Calypso originated in singing competitions held by African slaves during annual carnivals. After Britain abolished slavery in Trinidad in the 1830’s, the competitions expanded and became more popular. Calypso was originally sung in a French-Creole dialect called patois << PAT wah >> . Singers began using English during the early 1900’s. Singers may adopt colorful names. A performer called the Mighty Sparrow became one of the most popular calypso singers of the middle and late 1900’s.
Calypso has become widely known outside the Caribbean since the 1920’s and 1930’s, when record companies recorded many calypso singers. Such songs as “Day-O” (or “Banana Boat Song”) and “Mary Ann” (or “Marianne”) became popular in the United States, especially as performed in the 1950’s by American singer Harry Belafonte.
