Calypso Music Genre

Calypso Music Genre

Culture,Immovable Culture Heritage,Intangible Heritage,Tourism

Calypso music is a genre in which communicates and revolves around social commentary. Calypso was developed by West African slaves who were brought to the Caribbean in the eighteenth century. Original tradition would have a local bard telling stories through song, and offering social commentary through praise, satire or lament (BBC, 2017). Trinidad playing host to carnivals - and therefore calypso competitions - made the genre globally synonymous with the country. Subsequently, through commercial recordings beginning in the 1920s and 30s, calypso music became a social looking glass into matters of Trinidadian public interest (Guibault, 2005). Calypso is recognisable by its use of 4/4 syncopated time signatures, call and response, and prominent Latin percussion – but the most distinctive element is the topical, witty, and satirical lyrics performed by the calypsonians. The attached song is “Split Me In Two” by The Mighty Dougla. This example of a calypso was written in the 1950s and provides a comical perspective on how Trinidad is an extremely multicultural society and if, as the government proposed, some second generation citizens were to be deported back to their ancestral countries, many people would struggle to know which country to choose.

wordlheritage2022

1950

mac37@st-andrews.ac.uk

audio/mp3

Sound

04/26/2022 10:58:20 am

In Copyright (InC)

https://open.spotify.com/track/6VlJQmBONYcAX4OpS5pxbf

origin,10.377878493646179,-61.354593783617034;

https://open.spotify.com/track/6VlJQmBONYcAX4OpS5pxbf

The Mighty Dougla

SOUND

Calypso music is a genre in which communicates and revolves around social commentary. Calypso was developed by West African slaves who were brought to the Caribbean in the eighteenth century. Original tradition would have a local bard telling stories through song, and offering social commentary through praise, satire or lament (BBC, 2017). Trinidad playing host to carnivals - and therefore calypso competitions - made the genre globally synonymous with the country. Subsequently, through commercial recordings beginning in the 1920s and 30s, calypso music became a social looking glass into matters of Trinidadian public interest (Guibault, 2005). Calypso is recognisable by its use of 4/4 syncopated time signatures, call and response, and prominent Latin percussion – but the most distinctive element is the topical, witty, and satirical lyrics performed by the calypsonians. The attached song is “Split Me In Two” by The Mighty Dougla. This example of a calypso was written in the 1950s and provides a comical perspective on how Trinidad is an extremely multicultural society and if, as the government proposed, some second generation citizens were to be deported back to their ancestral countries, many people would struggle to know which country to choose.

mac37@st-andrews.ac.uk