| CALYPSO: A WORLD MUSIC |
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Calypso in Trinidad
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The Composition of CalypsoPart 1 | Part 2 |
Calypso
in Trinidad:
 Carnival and Musical Traditions Calypso Tents and Calypsonians The Composition of Calypso Early Recordings of Calypso Calypso in the 1940s and 1950s |
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Calypsonians composed new calypsos each year for the Carnival. They arranged their words into verses (stanzas) with two, four or eight lines, typically in the form of rhyming couplets. Sometimes they included a chorus with a melody distinct from that of the verses. Calypso melodies were shaped both by speech rhythms and by patterns of syncopation characteristic of African-Trinidadian music. Some melodies were used repeatedly for different calypsos.
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 The Roaring Lion
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By the 1920s and 1930s, calypsonians often composed songs based on their
careful observation of current events, either in Trinidad or abroad. Their
topics ranged from local scandals to major developments in world politics.
Other calypsos expressed more general concerns, such as relationships
between men and women or characteristics of local cultural traditions.
Regardless of subject matter, audiences judged calypsonians on their perceptiveness,
imagination, diction and wit, as well as on their ability to employ irony,
innuendo and double entendre. They also admired the skill with which some
calypsonians could sing extemporaneously on various topics. Calypsonians
were masters of words who were able to convincingly capture the many nuances
of life in Trinidad. |
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