King Radio
"Brown Skin Girl" was composed by Trinidadian calypsonian King Radio in 1946, in response to the presence of American servicemen in Trinidad during World War II. The calypso commented on the practice of soldiers and sailors fathering babies and then returning to the United States. In the song's chorus, a serviceman tells his paramour:
I'm going away, in a sailing boat
And if I don't come back, stay home and mind
baby.
While its social commentary was typical of calypso, the song undoubtedly
became a favorite with audiences because of its infectious melody. Caribbean-American
singer Harry Belafonte popularized the calypso in his smash-hit album
titled Calypso (1956). Since then it has remained a standard part
of the repertoire of Caribbean hotel entertainers. Meanwhile, jazz versions
of "Brown Skin Girl" have appeared on recordings by Sonny Rollins
and Roy Haynes.
