Friday, February 23, 2007

Super Calypso Hits



Three tracks from Side One of an LP on the Camille label of Barbados. 1973.

Tracks are-

1. Garrot Bounce - Lord Nelson
2. Wet Your hands - King Obstinate
3. Sparrow Melody Horse Race - Lord Melody

"Carnival songs began to be called "calypsos" around 1900. The roots of calypso lie in African-Trinidadian stickfighting songs, drum dance songs and other folk traditions. Lead singers, or "chantwells," of Carnival songs performed both in the "yards" (headquarters) of masquerade bands and on the streets during the festival itself. Often they sang in French Creole, the vernacular language of the majority of Africans in Trinidad during the nineteenth century. By the turn of the century, however, some chantwells were singing Carnival songs in English, the language of the island's colonial rulers who had become more influential than the old French plantation owners.

The French Creole calypsos of working-class Trinidadians often had two line stanzas, sung by a chantwell and chorus in a call and response fashion. These songs were typically accompanied by pieces of bamboo used as percussion instruments. Meanwhile, the growing influence of the middle class in Carnival was reflected in the composition of English-language calypsos with four or eight line stanzas, which were perceived to be more sophisticated. These songs were generally accompanied by stringed instruments, associated with the musical traditions of nearby Venezuela. The lyrics of both types of calypsos of this era often included boasts and witty derision of rivals."


Prince Galloway - Sixty-Nine

Lord Superior - Headly


These SendSpace files are available for seven days or until exhausted.

8 comments:

baikinange said...

THANK YOU for the calypso numbers....I've never heard of them before, and they are most welcome in my music library.

Wastedpapiers said...

You are welcome baikinange! I hope to upload a few more before the end of the year! I have quite a few from my Brick Lane days! You dont see them so much in Cheshire!

I love your blog by the way. Some great stuff there.Thanks for feedback!

Wastedpapiers said...

though wish you used megaupload or something and not rapidshare!

spice-the-cat said...

Awwww, Michael. And there's me believing that Cheshire is the northern capital of the calypso world. Next you'll be trying to tell me that chicken tikka isn't the English national dish - which, of course, we all know it most definitely is.

Wastedpapiers said...

Well, I wouldnt touch one of them turkey twizzlers with a barge pole! Though enjoy a good curry and pint of wallop like any other red-blooded chartered accountant!

Canalh said...

Your blog is great ! I am crazy about Calypso but couldn't download the Lord Christo titles on sendspace ! I am getting depressed. Anyway, thank you very much.

FredrikO said...

This would be a very welcome re-up indeed. Calypsofan as I am. // F

Calypso Bay said...

There's some great calypso bay songs on there. Megaupload would be great though!