| CALYPSO: A WORLD MUSIC |
 Steelband in Aruba The Eastern CaribbeanPart 1 | Part 2 |
International Calypso
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Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, islands of the Dutch Antilles, lie off the coast of Venezuela. Oil refineries were established in Curacao in 1918 and in Aruba in 1926. Many migrants from Trinidad and other parts of the English-speaking Caribbean came to the islands to work in the oil industry. Calypsos were sung both by migrants and locals. Some singers composed calypsos in Papiamentu, the local creole language, while others used English. |
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Topical song traditions developed throughout the British islands of the eastern Caribbean, such as Grenada, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica and Antigua. By the 1940s, these islands were increasingly influenced by the well-known calypsonians of Trinidad, who recorded extensively and often traveled to perform. Gradually, the eastern Caribbean islands developed their own calypso traditions. By the 1960s, Barbados, St. Vincent and Antigua all had formal calypso competitions. Calypso was often associated with Trinidad-style Carnivals, initially produced by governments to attract tourists but eventually embraced by local populations. |
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