Calypso: Its origins in Trinidad and its Variations in the World Beyond

A four-lesson unit for fifth grade

Kelsey Stewart
MusEd 341
16 December 2015
Introduction & Context:
I chose to focus my World Music Project around Trinidad because the country has
a rich and unique musical culture that was shaped by a multitude of intersecting traditions
and cultures. Personally, I love listening to Trinidadian music, especially Calypso, and I
think that it would appeal to upper elementary students because the music is upbeat, the
melodies are catchy and singable, and the songs have interesting lyrics. The music lends
itself well to discussions about musical elements as well as social, cultural, and historical
influences that shaped the music and its lyrics. It is also compatible with lessons that
include singing, dancing, and percussion.
I learned about Trinidadian music last year in Professor Castros global pop music
class, so I feel that I already have a strong background in the style. Music plays an
important role in Trinidadian culture, especially in the Carnival festival that is one of the
biggest celebrations in their culture. Calypso specifically was a powerful vehicle of
political and social commentary, and provided many with an outlet to express their
feelings about the political and social happenings at the time.
Trinidads history is unique and varied, which results in a diverse culture and
blend of ethnic backgrounds. The Spanish invaded the island in 1492, but it changed
hands to British rule in 1797. During this time, the Spanish brought slaves from other
Caribbean islands to work as planters, and when the British took over, they brought more
slaves from India. Finally in 1833, slavery was abolished, and in 1962, Trinidad gained
independence. The ethnic make up of Trinidad today is 40% Indian, 37% African, and
20% mixed (history and data from lectures and powerpoints by Prof. Castro). This unique
blend of cultures results in rich musical styles that bear the marks of converging cultures
and traditions.
Calypso originated with an Angolan stick fighting sport called Kalinda. At the
fights, songs would be sung to support the athletes. The leaders of the songs, were called
chantwells, and they would improvise rhyming lyrics. This tradition came from Africa to
Trinidad but eventually became divorced from the sport; chantwells would compete and
improvise back and forth in tents during Carnival. Calypso is generally in a major key,
and has a bright, lively aesthetic. The lyrics are usually witty and contain hidden social
commentary or innuendo, as mentioned above (information from Popular World Music
by Andrew Shariari).

Calypso songs are characterized by brisk tempos, big band instrumentation, and
singable melodies. The songs are often in call and response form, reflecting the tradition
of chantwells leading a group of people in a chant. Often in major keys, and filled with
complex percussive rhythms, Calypso songs have an upbeat, energetic feeling. They are
often accompanied by dance or are sung in context of a festival or celebration like
Carnival. Unit Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will:
Demonstrate a broad understanding of the history of Calypso music
Be able to analyze the lyrics of Calypso songs
Correctly identify instrumentation of most Calypso songs
Identify call and response forms and improvisation in listening exercises
Sing melodies of selected Calypso songs
Create motions and move rhythmically to Calypso songs
Perform orchestrations of Calypso songs on Orff and percussion instruments
Improvise in call and response forms, both vocally and on Orff instruments
Respond creatively to Calypso music through movement and drawing
Reflect on the connection between Trinidadian culture and Calypso music
Reflect on their own culture and the way that music is a part of it


National
Standards

Create

Perform

Respond

Connect

Lesson
One
Students will work in
groups to create their
own verses with
lyrics that fit with a
rhythmic and chordal
accompaniment

Lesson
Two

Students will act as the

chantwell and improvise a
call on their Orff
instruments, while the rest
of the class answers. All
students who want to
improvise will have the
chance to improvise in the
F pentatonic scale within
the call and response
form.
The class will collate, Students will learn and
their verses to create
perform an Orff
their own duel.
accompaniment to
Each group will sing Limbo Dance.
their verses one at a
Designated chantwells
time, with a four-bar
will improvise call
musical interlude
phrases and the rest of the
between verses
class will respond by
(mimicking the form singing the response
of Picong Duel)
phrase.
Students will share
Students will listen to
observations about
Limbo dance while
Picong Duel after
keeping steady by
listening
walking and doing the
Students will respond limbo to the song.
musically by keeping Students will also use the
the steady beat during song in an improvisation
their listening
game by substituting
names into the call and
response form.
Students will make
Students will listen to
connections between Limbo dance and
the origins of calypso compare and contrast its
in Kalinda
content and structure with
stickfighting and the
Picong Duel.
Picong Duel
listening example

Lesson
Three

Lesso
Four

Students will work in

groups to create
motions to Day O
Groups will teach their
motions to the whole
class, and everyone
will perform the whole
song with the new
motions

Students will re
creatively by d
visual represen
based on Gan
the Nile by D
Rudder

Students will sing

Day O with
accompaniment while
performing motions
they developed in class

Students will s
their drawings
demonstrate th
understanding
music and Trin
culture through

Students will move in

response to Day O
and create motions that
represent the lyrics and
style of the song

Students will m
connections be
elements of Tri
culture and Cal
music with elem
their own cultu
their favorite m
styles

Students will listen to

Day O and
compare it to Limbo
Dance from the
previous week. Student
will extrapolate these
observations to create
a venn diagram about
the Calypso and Mento
styles.

Students will c
and contrast all
songs, drawing
connections be
lyrical content
musical elemen

Lesson Plan # 1: The Origins and History of Calypso

Grade: 5th
Duration: 45 minutes
National Music Standards: Create, respond, perform, and connect
Repertoire: Picong Duel by Mighty Sparrow and Lord Melody
Other Teaching Materials: recording and lyrics of Picong Duel
New Vocabulary: Calypso, Kalinda stick fighting, Trinidad and Tobago, chantwell,
Carnival, improvise (review)
Lesson Objectives:
Students will
Find and identify Trinidad and Tobago on a world map
Understand the origins of calypso and its relationship to the culture and history of
Trinidad
Describe Kalinda stick fighting and how it led to the calypso style
Identify the instruments in Picong Duel
Sing the basic melody of Picong Duel using solfege syllables
Discuss the lyrics of Picong Duel in its cultural context
Understand the role of the chantwell in improvising new lyrics over the same
melody
Analyze the form of Picong Duel and use it as a framework for their own
composition
Compose verses to create a song in the same form as Picong Duel
Perform composition over a synthesized chordal and rhythmic backing track
Teaching Procedure
Prepare
1. Ask students, Has anyone every heard of Trinidad before? Can anyone locate it on the
map?
2. Show students where the country is, then teach about history of the island and the
people who live there. Ask students, Do you have any ideas about the type of musical
traditions might exist on the island? Are you familiar with any other musical genres from
the Caribbean? Do you think that the music from Trinidad might be similar/different?
Present
1. Introduce Calypso with brief Powerpoint.
2. Ask students to listen to Picong Duel to see if they can draw any conclusions about
the musical style. Give specific questions to guide listening like, What instruments do
you hear? What is the form of the song? What are the lyrics about? What mood or
emotion is conveyed by the music?
3. Use students ideas to come up with characteristics of Calypso music. Filter responses,
and add any characteristics that the students missed to create a full definition of the
genre.

Practice & Extend

1. Teach basic solfege melody of Picong Duel (fa mi re mi/ fa mi re do)
2. Discuss form of song (4 measures of improvised lyrics, 4 measures of instrumental
interlude)
3. Discuss content of lyrics (jokingly insulting opposing chantwell), then decide on a
class theme to guide student compositions
4. Divide students into small groups and give them time to compose verses that fit within
the form of the piece (four measures, adhering mostly to the solfege melody)
Assess & Close
1. Each group will perform their verse for the class, offer suggestions as needed
2. Organize groups and perform new composition as a whole over a calypso themed
backing track.
Lesson Plan #2: Dancing to Calypso
Grade: 5th
Duration: 45 minutes
National Music Standards: Create, respond, perform, and connect
Repertoire: Limbo Dance by Lord Invader
Other Teaching Materials: Recording and lyrics to Limbo Dance, limbo stick, notated
Orff accompaniment, Orff instruments, percussion instruments
New Vocabulary: call and response, chantwell (review)
Lesson Objectives:
Students will
Find and identify Trinidad and Tobago on a world map
Understand the origins of calypso and its relationship to the culture and history of
Trinidad
Understand the importance of dance in Trinidadian culture
Move to the steady beat in Limbo Dance
Compare and contrast Limbo Dance with Picong Duel
Describe call and response form
Improvise lyrically and melodically in the call and response form
Perform instrumental accompaniment to Limbo Dance on Orff and percussion
instruments
Teaching Procedure
Prepare
1. Review location of Trinidad on world map
2. Review history of Trinidad, history and characteristics of Calypso from last week
3. Ask students, We talked about chantwells singing improvised lyrics in a duel can
you think of any other situations in which calypso music might be sung/played?

(celebrations, dances, etc)

Present
1. Play Limbo Dance for students. Guide students listening by asking them to identify
similarities and differences between Limbo Dance and Picong Duel from last week.
(Similarities: instruments, tempo, meter, jokingly insulting tone, simple repeated melody.
Differences: form, multiple singers singing at one time)
2. Listen to Limbo Dance again, asking students to walk in a circle to the steady beat
and do the limbo! As students do the dance, invite them to join in singing the response
phrase (limbo, limbo like me)
3. After dancing, teach the call portion of the phrase using solfege syllables. Sing both
call and response melodies using solfege.
4. Form circle and play brief improvisation game using the melody: Instead of singing
nobody can limbo like me, for the call phrase, students will insert the name of the
student to their right. Then everyone will sing the response phrase together. (This is a
great opportunity for the teacher to assess each students ability to sing the melody and
adjust the rhythm to accommodate for the number of syllables in a name)
Practice & Extend
1. Students will transition to Orff and percussion instruments.
2. Teach chordal and level bordoun to Orff instruments and a simple offbeat rhythm to
percussion instruments.
3. Sing melody over accompaniment.
4. Invite students to figure out melody of song on Orff instruments. Perform in unison.
5. Invite student to act as a chantwell and play a solo improvisation on the pentatonic
scale for the call phrase while everyone else performs the accompaniment and sings the
response phrase. (Remove bars to facilitate improvisation.) Students will take turns being
the chantwell.
Assess & Close
1. Students will create an order of chantwells and perform through the song as a cohesive
whole.

Lesson #3: Calypso in the World Beyond

Grade: 5th
Duration: 45 minutes
National Music Standards: Create, respond, perform, and connect
Repertoire: Day O by Harry Belafonte, Irving Budgie, and William Attaway
Other Teaching Materials: Recording and lyrics to Day O, piano accompaniment
New Vocabulary: call and response (review), chantwell (review), Jamaica, mento
Lesson Objectives:
Students will
Find and identify Trinidad and Tobago on a world map

Find and identify Jamaica on a world map

Compare and contrast Calypso and Mento styles
Explain connection between Calypso and Mento styles
Move to the steady beat of Day O
Learn the melody to Day O
Identify call and response phrases of Day O
Create motions to Day O
Teaching Procedure

Prepare
1. Review location of Trinidad on world map
2. Find Jamaica on world map, share brief history of Jamaica
3. Ask students to talk with a partner about their prediction about whether or not the
music of Jamaica will be similar to the music of Trinidad. Explain why and how they
think it might be similar or different.
Present
1. Play Day O for students, inviting students to stand and sway to the steady beat.
2. Ask students to compare Day O to Limbo Dance from last week. If needed, play
an excerpt of Limbo Dance to refresh students memory.
3. Create venn diagram to compare and contrast Calypso and Mento. Direct student
answers and fill in any gaps in student knowledge.
4. Teach response phrase of Day O using solfege syllables. Then add lyrics and
perform with recording.
5. Teach call phrases of Day O using solfege syllables. Point out that the melody of
the call phrase changes every two lines.
Practice & Extend
1. Divide students into groups of four. Each group will have time to come up with
motions to their assigned verse. Instruct students to creatively elucidate the call and
response structure through their motions.
2. Groups will share and teach motions to the class. (I will modify motions as needed.)
3. The class will practice moving to the steady beat and refine their singing while they
perform the motions.
Assess & Close
1. The class will perform Day O as a whole with singing and motions. Designated
chantwells will sing call phrases as solos while everyone will participate in the response
phrases.
Lesson #4: Calypso Celebration
Grade: 5th
Duration: 45 minutes

National Music Standards: Create, respond, perform, and connect

Repertoire: Ganges and the Nile by David Rudder, all songs and compositions from
previous weeks
Other teaching materials: Orff instruments, music and lyrics of all songs, including
composition from week 1
New Vocabulary:
Lesson Objectives:
Students will
Find and identify Trinidad and Tobago on a world map
Find and identify Jamaica on a world map
Find and identify the Ganges and Nile rivers on a world map
Compare Ganges and the Nile by David Rudder with the songs learned in the
previous three lessons
Respond to Ganges and the Nile with a creative drawing
Identify important aspects of Trinidadian culture
Identify important aspects of Calypso music
Reflect on their own culture, and the way that music is a part of it
Teaching Procedure
Prepare
1. Review location of Trinidad on world map
2. Find Jamaica on world map, share brief history of Jamaica
3. Find Ganges and Nile Rivers on the world map, ask students to discuss in groups their
predictions about why the chose to talk about these two rivers in his calypso song.
(Hopefully students will remember conversations about the history of Trinidad and make
connections to the diversity of ethnic heritage in Trinidad.)
Present
1. Review important elements of Trinidadian culture and features of calypso music.
2. Discuss the way in which these elements are present in all of the songs studied in the
unit.
3. Listen to Ganges and Nile by David Rudder while following along with lyrics. Invite
students to respond creatively by sketching with markers.
4. After listening and sketching for about 5-8 minutes, invite students to share their
sketches. If students are comfortable, the sketches will be displayed at the informance.
5. Discuss the message of Ganges and the Nile and compare it to the messages sent by
the other songs.
6. Then, compare and contrast the musical elements of all four songs from the unit.
Practice & Extend
1. Make connections to own culture, share ideas about important features of their own
cultures with small groups. Answer the question: How does music fit into the culture of
Trinidad? How does music fit into your own culture?
(2. If time allows, practice performance of each song from previous weeks to prepare for

informance.)
Assess & Close
1. If time, prepare for informance, which will serve as a formal and summative
assessment for the unit.

Assessment tool: Informance and subsequent self-reflection

To finish the unit and present their knowledge, students will give an informance
for parents and friends after school. For the informance, the class will first perform the
song they composed based on Picong Duel in the first lesson. Then they will play
Limbo Dance on Orff and percussion instruments, and audience members will be
invited to participate and dance the limbo along with the music! The informance will end
with a performance of Day-O with students singing the song and performing it with the
motions they created in class. Throughout the performance, students will share bits and
pieces of what they learned about Calypso music and the culture of Trinidad. To conclude
the performance, students will share the drawings they created in response to Ganges
and the Nile and explain what they learned about culture, both on a global and on a
personal level.
Students grades will be based on their participation in the informance and the
rehearsal preceding. All students are required to have some speaking or sharing role, no
matter how small, and everyone will participate in all song performances. Additionally, a
self-reflection form will be given to students immediately following the concert to assess
their growth throughout the unit.
Questions for Self Reflection:
1. Were you successful in presenting the Calypso style of music at the informance? Why
or why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. How did studying Calypso music and the culture of Trinidad help you to better
understand your own culture and the way that music fits into it?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. What was your favorite part of the unit? Why?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Resources:
Picong Duel by Mighty Sparrow and Lord Melody: www.youtube.com/watch?
v=xHkoYHqlkfY
Lyrics:
Sparrow:
Well, Melody, come close to me/l will tell you plain and candidly
Don't stop in the back and smile/Because you have a face
like a crocodile.
Melody:
Sparrow, you shouldn't tell me that at all/l mind you when you
was small
Many of the nights I used to mash your head/In crossing to go
on your mother. Sparrow:
I know you think you are looking sweet/You posing here in
your own false teeth
Is a lucky thing your uncle kick out/For you to get the false
teeth to put In your mouth.
Melody:
That is all you can say in every angle and every way
But the way how you watching at me/l go bust a right hook in
your belly.
Sparrow:
It look as if you want trouble here tonight/All you always looking
for flght
I'II tell you this candidlyflhat is why the jail never empty.
Melody:
You know that I'II be proud and glad/lf Samson and Delilah
come back to Trinidad
But when they come I wouldn't go in the theatre
Because look, the jawbone of the ass right here.
Sparrow:
Well, ladies and gents, to tell you this I'm sure when the circus
was here they had a big uproar
Walking hand in hand the female chimpanzee take Melo for
she man.
Melody:
Sparrow, that is a mistake/And in my opinion you give me a
headache
This is what I'm forced to say/is the same mistake you going

to make today.
Sparrow:
Well, Melody, you have me in a rage/Wining up on the stage
You feel you are looking cute/But when you finish, take off the
dead man suit.
Melody:
You shouldn't tell me that/ that is what I am compelled to tell
you flat
I hope you don't say that I am crack/in a while I'll be wining
behind your back.
Sparrow:
Well believe, don't touch my flesh I wouldn't say you fresh
Back to back, belly to belly/And I think you are slack.
Lyrics taken from liner notes of Calypso Awakening from the Emory Cook Collection
http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/smithsonian_folkways/SFW40453.pdf
Limbo Dance By Lord Invader:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCIz7c0ZP70

Lyrics taken from liner notes of West

Indian Folk Songs for Children with
Lord Invader Scholastic Records SC
7744

http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW07744.pdf

Melody and Orff accompaniment

Day O by Harry Belafonte:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMigXnXMhQ4
Notated melody and lesson plan ideas on pg. 72-73 of Spotlight on Music for 4th grade
Day O, day O
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Me say day, me say day O
Daylight come and me wan' go home
Work all night on a drink of rum
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Stack banana till the mornin' come
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Come, Mister Tally Man, tally me banana
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Come, Mister Tally Man, tally me banana
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Day, me say day O
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)

Day, me say day, me say day

Me say day, me say day, me say day
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
A beautiful bunch o' ripe banana
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Hide the deadly black tarantula
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Day, me say day O
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Day, me say day, me say day
Me say day, me say day, me say day
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Come, Mister Tally Man, tally me banana
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Come, Mister Tally Man, tally me banana
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Day O, day O
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Day, me say day, me say day, me say day
Me say day, me say day O
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)
Songwriters
Mc Farlane, Fred / George, Allen / Mishan, Chaz / Delazyn, David / Desrouleaux, Jason
Joel / Attaway, William / Burgie, Irving
Published by
Lyrics EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS
MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Reservoir One Music, RESERVOIR MEDIA
MANAGEMENT INC
http://www.metrolyrics.com/day-o-lyrics-harry-belafonte.html

Ganges and the Nile by David Rudder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=9r6mM_QgxtI
Once upon a time there was a magic island
Full of magic people.
Let me tell you a story
'Bout their pain and their glory, oh yeah.
Many rivers flowed to this naked isle
Bringing fear and pain
But also a brand new style.
And of all these rivers that shaped this land
Two mighty ones move like a sculptors hand.
And today those hands, across the land, man, they're still landscaping.
And there's no doubt we go work it out, there is no escaping.
As the river flows there are those who would change its passage.
But every common man got to under-stand up and send a message.
So put up your hand if you understand now.
Come.
See how we moving, watch how we grooving
See how we step in style.
One lovely nation, under a groove
The Ganges come meet the Nile.
Them boys with the hidden agendas, and the mind-benders,
People done take in front.
Various smart men, and politicians can come along if they want.
Cus the people got the power, and the glory.
See how we float in style.
See how we moving, watch how we grooving.
The Ganges has met the Nile
Differences, there will always be.
So let you be you, and I'll be me.
That's the damn ting self that makes it sweet.
Brother bring your drum, lewwe start to beat.
Don't mind them politcky politicky politicky politicky politicians.
And with their politricky politricky politricky politricky situations.
We done jamming and we jamming and we jamming and jam cus we know the story.
Let them fight if they want in this land of a different glory. (i might have this line wrong)
So put up your hand if you understand now
Come.
See how we moving, watch how we grooving

See how we step in style.

One lovely nation, under a groove
The Ganges come meet the Nile.
Them boys with the hidden agendas, and the mind-benders,
They will always do their do.
Various smart men, and politicians, dem could come along too.
Cus we moving with the power, and the glory.
See how we float in style.
See how we moving, watch how we grooving.
The Ganges has met the Nile
See how we moving, watch how we grooving
See how we float in style.
One lovely nation, under a groove
The Ganges come meet the Nile.
Them boys with the hidden agendas, and the mind-benders,
They will always do their do.
But now that we holding hands, trudging to the Promised Land
Them could come along too.
Cus we moving with the power, and the glory.
See how we float in style.
One lovely nation, heading to salvation.
The Ganges come meet the Nile.
http://islandlyrics.com/lyrics-david_rudder-the_ganges_and_the_nile_1999.htm
song recommended by Tasha Tardieu

References:
Books:
Spotlight on Music Grade 4
Popular World Music by Andrew Shahriari
Albums and liner notes:
Lord Invader: Calypso in New York by Smithsonain Folkways Recordings
o Accessed at
http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/smithsonian_folkways/S
FW40454.pdf
West Indian Folk Songs for Children with Lord Invader by Scholastic Records SC
7744
o Accessed at
http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW07744.pdf
Calypso Awakening from the Emory Collection by Smithsonain Folkways
Recordings
o Accessed at
http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/smithsonian_folkways/S
FW40453.pdf
Websites:
Smithsonian Folkways
o http://www.folkways.si.edu/catch-calypso-beat-put-on-yourfeet/music/tools-for-teaching/Smithsonian
o http://www.folkways.si.edu/steel-band-style-calypso-culture-childhoodchants-trinidadian-classroom/music/tools-for-teaching/Smithsonian
Trinidad and Tobago National Library and Information System Authority
o http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Research/SubjectGuide/Music/Calypso/tabid/104/
Default.aspx?PageContentID=73
Lectures and powerpoints by Prof. Castro from Global Pop Music Course
Conversations with Tasha Tardieu, friend and international student from Trinidad