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    © All Rights Reserved
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    17 views7 pages

    100 Years of Calypso

    Uploaded by

    Mike

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 7
    Aa aM 3 L, SUBRAMANIAM'S OSD) PASE ay Cte CRW ae Carnival Sunday in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, is highighted by the Dimache Gras, a grand showcase of various Carival entertainments, inelaing ‘the much-anticipated Calypso Monarch competition. Eleven contestants, a¢ well 2 the previous year's monareh, perform two songs in hopes of pleasing te panel of ug and securing fst prize. At the conchsion, the crowd awaits the resuits while heately debating the merits and faws of each presentation. This year's show Is highlighted by[the formidable trumuirate of David Rudder, Machel Montano and Lord Kitchener, each atnciv representative of his generation's soproach to Trinidad and Tobago'scalypro herkage ‘The spr. 77-year Lord Kitchener, natty atred in traderark rib hat, de and three-piece sult delhts the audience with a touching, spy tld te bout the indelaigabe human sprit. "Toco Band” recounts the srugles ofa seel-drum band From Toco, inthe remete northeastern corner of Trinidad, who are repeatedly tld that thoy don’ stand a chance against the powerful bands from Port-oF Spain during ‘Carnias heated Panorama competion: "Can't boat pay, they tell we so/You counury band, go back Toco.” "More than 60 years since he fst bacame an enertinr, Kitchener's eypto spirit sll pubes with unciminished vibrancy. "Toco Band!” had celebrants ef all ge up and dancing throughout the six-week ‘Carnival season, andthe songs arrangement for Panorama earned the Nutones stel orchestra a respectable second place. “believe | stop composing, fd fade avy.” says Kitch, “so | keep ‘working all he time. My greatest plessure is to hear my songs pled on the radio. ec happy to know that my work sil goes out allover the world.” Machel Montano, 24, embodies the adrenaline-pumping exuberance of soca, ealypto’s I LOOK AT IT AS A CROSS- SECTION OF THE MUSIC, WHERE YOU CAN SEE YOUR GRANDFATHER DANCING TO THE SAME SONG YOU'RE DANCING TO, AND THAT'S A NEXT WAY OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.” —MACHEL MONTANO Uupxempo modem derivative. His sexy pic _yrations (refered toin the Carisbeanas"Wwiing’) and contagious callandresponse commands (COnarpe!” "Ride de Truc") have crested an ‘overwhalring demand for his talents on the sanding Nerth American Carnal creat Performing Ns 1999 hit "Unideattied Fiyng Objects,” Machel instructs onlookers to poine thar fingers to the shy. "Do you see what | seo" he ‘queries, as an inflaabl spaecrathovers overbead and 30-oot ll day glo aens wise on stage. David Rudder's vocals are shaded with subtleties of He's vicstudes; hs poesc perceptions eccupy a unique stans in the “rinéadan musieal spectrum. A brian bic ustably compared to Bob Dylan and Bob Marly, Rudder, 46, has amassed a remariablo repertoire of contemperary Caribbean catsce. He's examined lecl and gobal controversies (Hoosy.” 71990"), lambasted policlans (Madian's Rant), glorified gras~oots heroes ("The Hamner”) and honored TAT's ester musica neage (Calypso), Rucker updates the caypsonian’s role 25 social commentator with topical metaphors 2et to a global panoply of African beats. His presence it leo mandatory on the gevsomethinz-and-wave soca circuit, where ho jumps, wines and—backed by the African rooted rhyms of the superb’ Chari's Roots band—cornects with the ancestors through Yoruba chants, taking a tansfred audence with him. His haunting 1998 song "Ganges Meets The Nie” exals Teiidad's mulosetnie sciey, urging unity through is allegory of tlvers: "Many vers fewed 0 this raked ie, bringing fear and pa and 4 brand new siyle/And ofa these rivers tha shaped this land, wo ‘mighey ones moved fkea sculptors hand." The sorg, feature on the 199 broadeast of the Miss Universe pageant (held in Trinidad and Tobago), dalvered one of the few moments inthis years Cerial ‘where revelers could "get on bad” to something substantial. ‘Kiechener, Rudder and Montano exemphiy the bert in three Aisinct phases of calypto's devolopment. Kitch is the revered _grandmaster of eloquent storytaling hs melodic and rel exceence ‘cresting music that smultaneauly classe and contemporary, "Winer boy’ Mensano, currently soc's greatest hope for a mainstream breaichrough, boldly asserts youthfd Trinidadian and eastern ‘Canbbean identity with an aggressive amalgam of American hip-hop and jamaican dancehal steeped in techno-soca rhythms. Ruder, 5 the tide of lost CD stars, is che musi’: ineeratona! Chantuele Forward and because you're gong forward, you maintain the tration ofthe musi. Thats why isurvives For over a century, calypso has provided the soundtrack to Trinidad complex Caria feels. Inaugurated in the rid-18005 2s a pr-Lenean Cdebration for French aristocrats, Coral derives its pageantry privariy from French marquerade bale and che dramatic vignertes of Englsh rmurrmers. Weathy landowners alowed Alcan shves to have ther own Calebration, known as jarerte Carnival (Tein vermlar, amet, rom the French dlameve, means "ouside the dele of respectability"), which Featured stick fing. masquerades and the deslcton of folkori Aftian characters such as a jabs” (dois) and stiewalkng "aco [umbies.” “Those who could afford to added string instruments to thal jamete CCarival song, which eventaly beara known at eaiypsos. Original sng in French Creole by 2 chanel eacng is masquerade band through the streets, caypro was being sung in Erlich bythe early 20¢h canary. 1821, ‘alypronan Walter “Chien” Dougls opened the fst moder calypso te, ‘aking the music ou ofthe masquerade bands and into seated venues. Soon local merchants, bquor compares and cic communities were sponsoring tents of thelr on, Decca Records released the fist calypso racord"Mango Vert” by Lovey String andé—in (912; two yours ater Jalan Whiterose recorded the first Engi language calypso, Ion Duke fn The Land” Through the 20s and "30s, the Dacea and Mercury labels brought many Trinidadian ares to New York to racard, foremost among them Ala the Hun, che Growing Tiger, Lord Executor, King Ratko and the Roaring ion. Inthe 40, Lord Kener ‘ose to such prominence tha President Harry Truman commented," Kitch cr beens ealjpsonin, he'd have ben a great azz musician, because the sounds wer in soul" Born Aldnyn Roberts fv Arima, Trinidad, in 1922, Kitch bogan| (UW Productons/Musierana, hi yl resonating joy €& portraying sugges composing cayptos at age fve and wen his fist competition at 16. Alor ‘everywhere from Rwanda to Porto Spans econemleally depressed Behind sacuring the Arima Calypzo King tile, he ‘the Bridge area Adopted the sobriquet "the Arima 1A 35.year-veeran vocals who incorporates jazz, RAB, bles, rock and Champion." In 1943 his song "Green ‘other elements ino a uniquely Triidatan sound. Rudder got hist major Fig" became an. Iland-wide breakin 1977, when he became ead singer of Charlie's Root. In 1986,the rst sensation, prompdng Growleg and only time he entered the various musical compestions that abound during Tiger, Trinidad’ first offal ‘Carnival, he won the tes of Calypso Monarch, Young King and Rosd March “Champion and also composed the winning song in the Panorama steal band ‘compettion—a coup never accomplished before or since. Rudder generated great controversy tat year, with purists decrying his songs a not “eve” calypso, “Thad a problem with that" ho sys, “and Ihave ‘0 ak them, ‘What fs calypso” Calypso bares itself on everything else thes happening inthe world, ant comes out ina Trinkdacan form. nthe 405 aed "50s the mesic had a very strong Latin feel, and when ragtime was big it sounded Ike ragime with a Carbbean fos the social commentary, dealing ‘with Hf, that remains constane, bue the music aays changes. I the tredtionazts object, | wonder why they aren't playing calypso as i was atthe ten ofthe century? Tradition comes from the Greek word meaning to go “IN THE EARLY DAYS, THE CALYPSONIAN WOULD WALK ABOUT THE STREETS, PLAYING HIS GUITAR FOR PEANUTS. TODAY THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE THINK: NO MATTER HOW HIGH HE REACHES, HE’S STILL A LITTLE FELLA WALKING ABOUT THE ROAD.” —LORD KITCHENER an peeve wl Pi an oun EE 10 nO reli ee 2 | AUTH . WovEMBER 19997 ‘Calypso Monarch, to redub him Lord Kiechener, alter the English field marsha, 1h 1947 Kicch was sponsored to perform his calypsos in nearby Aruba and Curacao; he then made his way to Jama, where the success of his "Kitch Come Go to Bed” made him a superstar (Princess Margaret of England sid ro have purchased 100 copies). He set sal for England and began cutting records ike “Africa My Home” and Black or White,” focusing n serious Socal criticism and expressions of racial pride. kiteh’s popularity grew in England, and he ominated the sewaves in Trinidad, where his songs were exported for every Caria. ‘Alter returriog to Tided in 1963, Kitch won 12 Road March tes with cases suchas "Main Madison Square Garden,” "Tribute To Spr Simon" and "Ralnorama” Although his most rant ‘vctory Was in 1976, he esi referred to 36 he Road March King because ro one has come cote t0 hie record, His jyieal dauble-entendres (Ese ier" “Gieme De Tig” etc) rank among the ‘best ncayps, and his symphonic compostons for ‘the stel pan (an In AMoor,”*Pan in Harry” Montano’s career began tage eight “Some people fet | was too young.” he says. “They ‘couldrt see someone at my age coming and singing azmidnight” Asan |-year-ld in 1986, he slenced fis dovactor with "Too Young To Soca” With Fis, band, Xt, Montano spent the next few years

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