| CALYPSO: A WORLD MUSIC |
Latin AmericaPart 1 | Part 2 |
International
Calypso
Caribbean & Latin America:  The Eastern Caribbean Jamaica The Bahamas The Virgin Islands Bermuda Latin America |
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During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many laborers from Jamaica and other Caribbean islands migrated to Costa Rica to construct a railroad and work on fruit plantations. This community performed various types of Caribbean-derived music. In response to the influence of Trinidadian and Panamanian calypsonians during the 1950s and 1960s, clubs and radio stations initiated calypso competitions for local artists. Similarly, Nicaragua's Creole community expanded during the late nineteenth century, with the migration of workers from Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean. This community developed a type of music called "mento," which drew on both Jamaican mento and Trinidadian calypso. |
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Calypso reached other parts of Latin America through various mass media.
During the early twentieth century, U.S. record companies marketed Trinidadian
calypso recordings to both English and Spanish-speaking audiences in the
Caribbean and South America. During the 1950s, Spanish-language versions
of U.S. calypso-related movies were distributed in Latin America. Latin
American countries were also a destination for touring calypso artists,
ranging from Lionel Belasco in the early twentieth century to the Mighty
Sparrow in later years. |
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Next: The United Kingdom |
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