Calypso History Month

Calypso is a life source to Trinbagonians. It is through calypso we voice our concerns about what is happening around us. Calypso is our editorial on life – to make us laugh, to make us cry, to respond to issues we disagree with, to praise those who made a better life for all of us. In other words, Calypso reflects who we are as a people.

Calypso has been called a poor man’s newspaper in times when literacy was not wide spread. It traces its roots to African and creole traditions of improvised songs of self-praise and scorn for others, brought here by enslaved peoples. It developed to become both a dance and cultural record of events at first in single tone style with implicit meanings and a spicy flavour.

David Rudder describes it best as a ‘living vibration’ with ‘lyrics to make a politician cringe or turn a woman’s body to jelly.’

As we observe Calypso History Month alongside one of the pillars of the National Carnival Commission, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation, we pay tribute to those who cleared the path for our present-day messengers.

Growling Tiger, Lord Beginner, Atilla the Hun, the Roaring Lion and Lord Pretender were the foundation names. They were followed by Lord Kitchener, Mighty Spoiler, Mighty Dictator and Lord Wonder, Mighty Striker and Mighty Sparrow. Between the 70s and 80s, the voices of Mighty Shadow, Brother Valentino, David Rudder, Black Stalin stood out. Now there’s Cro Cro, Kurt Allen, Pink Panther, and shining the light for the next generation is Marq Pierre who was crowned junior calypso monarch this year.

Let us pay tribute to these masters not only for one month, or during the Carnival season. Calypso records who we are all year long.