Rupee was on MTV this morning. All power to him. His song, "Tempted to Touch" is the featured track for After The Sunset starring Selma "Perfect Boobies" Hayek and Pierce Brosnan. I am humbled, just like when I heard Kevin Lyttle's "Turn Me On" on every radio station in Houston. BTW, Rupee is not Trini. He's Bajan. That's fine...expect MTV and Recording Label scouts for Carnival 2005.
Calypso 101
1830's - Calypso singing competitions, held annually at Carnival time, gained mainstream acceptance after the abolition of slavery by the British. (The French brought the tradition of Carnival to Trinidad.)
1914 - a landmark year in the history of calypso. The first calypso recording was made. Gramophone business.
1920's - gave birth to the first calypso tents. Originally, calypso tents were actual tents where calypsonians would practice before Carnival.
1930's - exceptional calypsonians such as Atilla the Hun, Lord Invader and the Roaring Lion were making an indelible impression on the calypso music world which was Trinidad and the Caribbean. Lord Kitchener, the GrandMaster, rose to prominence in the 1940s and dominated the calypso scene until the late 1970s. His calypsos are still legend in the panyards.
1944 - the Andrews Sisters (an American trio) did a cover version of Lord Invader's hit Rum and Coca Cola. Reportedly stolen by US producer Morey Amsterdam. Since then, the rest of the world has identified calypso with the Caribbean.
1956 - Harry Belafonte recorded the Banana Boat (Day-O) song. His "Calypso" album became the first album to sell 1,000,000 copies, that means Platinum, from a dubious (read underestimated) estimate in the 1960's. The Mighty Sparrow's hit 'Jean and Dinah', opened the market for politically charged calypsos. This calypso is a classic. Buy the greatest hits if you like it, and I'm sure you will.
1960's and 70's - Dominated by The Mighty Sparrow and The Lord Kitchener and songs like "Flag Woman", "Lenoir's Well", "Lolo",(those who know what a Lolo is....say yeah...!!!), "Sugar Bum Bum", "O'Halloran Cock", gave way to the uncompromising rise of Calypso Rose, in an arena dominated by men. Timeless classics like, "Tempo" and "Fire in yuh Wire". 1963 saw Ras Shorty I, take calypso to soca. Inspiring a generation of artistes such as David Rudder, Tambu, Charlie's Roots, Machel Montano and Xtatik, SuperBlue, Colin "Dollar Wine" Lucas, Marvin and Nigel Lewis, Traffik, Atlantik, Anselm Douglas, Blue Ventures. Still doing so today.
Class continues tomorrow.
Calypso 101
1830's - Calypso singing competitions, held annually at Carnival time, gained mainstream acceptance after the abolition of slavery by the British. (The French brought the tradition of Carnival to Trinidad.)
1914 - a landmark year in the history of calypso. The first calypso recording was made. Gramophone business.
1920's - gave birth to the first calypso tents. Originally, calypso tents were actual tents where calypsonians would practice before Carnival.
1930's - exceptional calypsonians such as Atilla the Hun, Lord Invader and the Roaring Lion were making an indelible impression on the calypso music world which was Trinidad and the Caribbean. Lord Kitchener, the GrandMaster, rose to prominence in the 1940s and dominated the calypso scene until the late 1970s. His calypsos are still legend in the panyards.
1944 - the Andrews Sisters (an American trio) did a cover version of Lord Invader's hit Rum and Coca Cola. Reportedly stolen by US producer Morey Amsterdam. Since then, the rest of the world has identified calypso with the Caribbean.
1956 - Harry Belafonte recorded the Banana Boat (Day-O) song. His "Calypso" album became the first album to sell 1,000,000 copies, that means Platinum, from a dubious (read underestimated) estimate in the 1960's. The Mighty Sparrow's hit 'Jean and Dinah', opened the market for politically charged calypsos. This calypso is a classic. Buy the greatest hits if you like it, and I'm sure you will.
1960's and 70's - Dominated by The Mighty Sparrow and The Lord Kitchener and songs like "Flag Woman", "Lenoir's Well", "Lolo",(those who know what a Lolo is....say yeah...!!!), "Sugar Bum Bum", "O'Halloran Cock", gave way to the uncompromising rise of Calypso Rose, in an arena dominated by men. Timeless classics like, "Tempo" and "Fire in yuh Wire". 1963 saw Ras Shorty I, take calypso to soca. Inspiring a generation of artistes such as David Rudder, Tambu, Charlie's Roots, Machel Montano and Xtatik, SuperBlue, Colin "Dollar Wine" Lucas, Marvin and Nigel Lewis, Traffik, Atlantik, Anselm Douglas, Blue Ventures. Still doing so today.
Class continues tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment