T&T is the “Land of Calypso.” We have heard the often used statement, “By calypso our stories are told,” more so in the month of October which was officially declared “Calypso History Month” in 2002. This special month focuses on exhibiting and educating the public through a full calendar of events.
For the schedule see http://www.tucott.com/calypso-history-month-calendar-of-event-2016/.
Let us take a look at some of our pioneering calypsonians and some classic calypsoes that have “told our stories” like no history book can.
Since the first singing in English of a calypso by Norman Le Blanc (Richard Coeur de Lion) in 1898 and the first English recording of a calypso in 1914 of Iron Duke’s (Julian Whiterose) Iron Duke in the Land, there have been many calypso pioneers who have paved the way for others to follow:
Atilla the Hun (Raymond Quevedo/1892-1962); Executor (Phillip Garcia/1880-1952); Houdini (Wilmoth Hendricks/1885-1973); Railway Douglas (Walter ‘Chieftain’ Douglas/1895-1971) who formed the first calypso tent in 1921 called the Railway Douglas Tent; Lord Caresser (Rufus Callender/1910-1976); Growler (Errol Duke/in the 1930s and 40s); Roaring Lion (Raphael de Leon/1908-1999); Duke of Iron (Cecil Anderson/1906-1968); Lord Invader (Rupert Grant/1914-1961); King Radio (Norman Spann/started singing in the early 1930’s); Growling Tiger (Neville Marcano/1916-1993); Lady Trinidad (Thelma Lane/1914-1999), the first female calypsonian to sing in a tent and the first to record a calypso; Spoiler (Theophilus Phillip/1926-1960); Lord Pretender (Aldric Farrell/1917-2002); Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts/1922-2000); Cristo/ Christopher Laidlow, Viper/Roderick Lewis, Macbeth the Great/Patrick McDonald, Gorilla/Charles Grant, Destroyer/Donald Glasgow, Ziegfield/Percy Simon, Killer/Cephas Alexander, Sir Galba/George McSween, Small Island Pride/Theo Woods, Gibraltar/Sidney Benjamin, Dictator/Kenny St Bernard, Spitfire/ Carlton Gumbs. Mighty Terror (Fitzgerald Henry/1921-2007); Lord Melody (Fitzroy Alexander/1926-1988); Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco/1935- ); Lord Blakie (Carlton Joseph/1932-2005); Mighty Bomber (Clifton Ryan/1928- ); Lord Nelson (Robert Nelson/1930- ); Lord Shorty/Ras Shorty I (Garfield Blackman/1941-2000), soca pioneer; Sundar Popo (1943-2000), chutney/chutney soca pioneer; David Rudder (1953- ), Crazy (Edwin Ayoung/1944- ), parang soca pioneer.
Some early calypso classics: Arima Tonight–Houdini 1931; Brown Skin Girl–King Radio 1933; Ugly Woman–Roaring Lion 1934; The Graf Zeppelin–Atilla the Hun 1934; Money is King–Growling Tiger 1935; Netty Netty–Roaring Lion 1937; Matilda– King Radio 1938; Papa Chunks–Roaring Lion 1941; A Mother’s Love–Destroyer 1941; Yankee Dollar (Rum and Coca Cola)–Lord Invader 1946; Mary Anne–Roaring Lion 1946; Victory Test Match (Cricket lovely cricket)–Lord Beginner 1950; The Bedbug–Mighty Spoiler 1953; Trouble in Arima–Lord Kitchener 1954; Steelband Clash–Lord Blakie 1954; Jean and Dinah–Mighty Sparrow 1956; Mama Look A Boo Boo–Lord Melody 1956.
Telling our stories
1933: Graf Zeppelin, Attila the Hun. About the day when the legendary airship, the Graf Zeppelin, flew over Trinidad.
One Sunday morning I chanced to hear
A rumbling and a tumbling in the atmosphere
I ran to stare, people were flocking everywhere
Gesticulating and gazing and pointing in the air
It was the Graf Zeppelin which had come to pay a visit to Trinidad…ETC.
1938: The History of Woodbrook, Growler. Images of an earlier era in the history of Woodbrook are vividly conjured up. Growler sang Woodbrook grew into a paradise, a decent locality….with “theatres and radios in the pretty little cottages and bungalows”.
1950: Victory Test Match (Cricket lovely cricket), Lord Beginner. West Indies defeat England at Lord’s cricket ground.
Cricket lovely Cricket,
At Lord’s where I saw it;
Cricket lovely Cricket,
At Lord’s where I saw it;
Yardley tried his best
But Goddard won the test.
They gave the crowd plenty fun;
Second Test and West Indies won.
Chorus:
With those two little pals of mine
Ramadhin and Valentine…ETC.
1962:
T&T Independence, Lord Brynner
(Independence King).
Don’t doubt me, don’t doubt me
Because ah saying what ah see
At the Test match in the Queen’s Park Oval
Right after the tea interval
From the time Charran Singh get run out
Ah don’t know where all those bottles come…ETC.
1962: Federation, Mighty Sparrow. Criticism of Jamaica for the failure of attempts at Caribbean integration/federation.
People want to know why Jamaica run from the Federation
Well, they want to know why Jamaica run away from the Federation
Jamaica have a right to speak she mind, that is my opinion
And if you believe in democracy, you'll agree with me…ETC.
1973: Memories, Mighty Sparrow. Recalling the late great cultural stalwarts.
Every year somebody dear
Give us cause to shed a tear
…Bert Inniss I'll always remember
Jumping when a steelband pass, playing mas
…George Bailey I'll always remember
Jumping when a steelband pass, playing mas
…Rudolph Charles I'll always remember
Jumping when a steelband pass, playing mas
Sugary peppery he was never ever one for class…ETC.
1973: Rainorama, Lord Kitchener. 1972 when carnival was postponed due to the threat of the polio virus with carnival being postponed to May, the rainy season, when Carnival was heavily rained upon. Road March for 1973.
Chorus:
Mama, when they hear they go get the carnival
All masqueraders on heat
When they didn’t hear if it was official, but they started turning beast on the street
And they start to jump around, yaay, and they start to tumble down, yaay
And they fall down on the ground, yaay, if you see how they gay, yes
But what was so comical, in the midst of bacchanal
Rain come and wash out mas in May…ETC.
1973: One to Hang, Lord Kitchener. The saga that surrounded Abdul Malik (Michael de Freitas, Michael X), Stanley Abbott, Adolphus Parmesar and Edward Chadee, in the murder/slayings of Gale Anne Benson and Joseph Skerritt in 1972.
Trouble in the back of Arima, so the papers say,
Four tesses involved in a murder just the other day.
One fella view the situation like thing getting brown,
He decided to throw in the sponge and turn witness for the crown.
(Chorus)
Parmesar, they say you too congosa, ETC.
1985: Visit of His Holiness Pope John II, Roaring Lion.
The visit of His Holiness will ever be
Indelibly written in our memory
For His visit will most certainly
Herald a new epoch in our history….ETC.
Nasser Khan is the author of the book: Heroes, Pioneers & Role Models of Trinidad & Tobago, which is available as a free download at http://www.safaripublications.com/firstcitizenstt/heroesprofilestt/