As with all music genres, calypso has been affected by other musical influences. Musical styles such as soca-chutney (addition of East Indian rhythms), acknowledges the influence of this large ethnic group in Trinidadian society. Another derivative, dance hall soca, reflects the influence of rhythm and blues and Jamaican reggae and dub music (dub is used to describe a genre of music that consists predominantly of instrumental re-mixes of existing recordings). Many calypsonians use these musical influences to their advantage in an attempt to market and export calypso as a viable commodity in a competitive international market.
As these new types of hybrid music slowly evolve, antagonists of these lyrical fusions often ask probing questions: Has the marketability/exportability of soca calypso eroded the benefits and significance of the socio-political commentary type calypso? Has the appeal of the party calypso supplanted the messages in the protest calypso? This concern over the future of calypso is regularly the topic of conversation in the media, in scholarly literature on Caribbean popular music and, (not surprisingly), in the lyrics of calypsos. In calypsos with appropriate titles such as "Kaiso versus Soca", "Kaiso Sick in the Hospital" (Chalkdust, 1978 and 1994), "We Ting" (Ras Shorty I, 1974), "Calypso Music" (David Rudder, 1987), "We Getting the Kaiso That We Deserve" (Tigress, 1996), calypsonians have openly voiced their concern, going to great lengths to promulgate the longevity of what they claim is "true kaiso" (Trinidadian vernacular for the socio-political commentary type genre), while berating the new generation of calypsonians for promoting only soca/party calypsos.
As a calypso aficionado and a "Trini to the Bone" (title of calypso composed by David Rudder in 2002), this author firmly believes that the experimental blended rhythms evidenced in contemporary calypsos are an enrichment to the traditional musical expression (as envisaged by the griots), an attempt at universal appeal and acceptance for this type of music, and more importantly, a true reflection of the fusion of musical styles as currently evidenced in other genres (rap, pop, reggae). ‘Trini calypso’ is very much alive and functional, with a positive, if somewhat different future in all its various forms.
REFERENCES
1. Lyrics from “Calypso Music” (a song penned to pay homage to calypso music
by calypsonian David Rudder in 1987)
2. Ronald Emrit ‘s website The Best of Trinidad and Tobago chronicles
the history of calypso music from 1950-2000. <http://www.geocities.com/ronemrit/calypso.html>
(August 8, 2003).
3
Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow, 1956)
Well, the girls in town feeling bad
No more Yankees in Trinidad
They
going to close down the base for good
Them girls have to make out how they
could
Well is now they park up in town
In for a penny, in for a pound
Yes is competition for so
Trouble in town when the price drop low
(Chorus)
So when you bounce up Jean and Dinah
Rosita and Clementina
Round the
corner posing
Bet your life is something they selling
And if you catch
them broken
You can get it all for nothing
Don’t make no row
Since the
Yankees gone Sparrow take over now
When the Yankee was in full swing
Just imagine how I was suffering
Mavis told me straight to me face
How
she find I too fast and out of place
No, no, no, they would start to fret
Money or not poor Sparrow can't get
Because with the Yankees they have
it cool
Calypsonians too hard to fool
4 The Sinking Ship (Gypsy, 1986)
The Trinidad, a luxury liner
Is sailing the Caribbean sea
With an
old captain named Eric Williams
For years sailed smooth and free
But sadly
Eric Williams passed away
The ship hit rough water that day
And someone
turned the bridge over
To a captain named Chambers
Made blood crawl,
things start to fall
(Chorus)
Captain, the ship is sinking
Captain, the seas are rough
Shall we
abandon ship?
Or shall we stay on it
And perish slow? We don’t know
Captain you tell me what to do
5 An excerpt from an article published in the Trinidad Express newspaper on
January 15 1988. The full text of the article is available at
http://www.caribbeanhindu.com/Sat.htm (August 8 2003).
6 Bottom in De Road (Iwer George, 1998) - (Lyrics paraphrased by
author)
Ah meet this Trini gul in ah party…bottom in de road
If yuh see the
shape on this lady…bottom in the road
Went over and started to check she.
..bottom in the road
She tell me her name is Angalee ....bottom in de road
She come from an Indian family ...bottom in the road
Ah had Dougla, ah had
Chinee, ah had Syrian, African, White women, but ah never had an Indian…
7 Stranger (Shadow, 2001)
I'm a stranger, said a pretty gyal
I came down here, for the carnival
This old music have me in a trance
Want to play mass, teach me how to dance
(Chorus)
Buy ah little rag and put it in yuh pocket
Buy ah little flag, dats de
way they do it
Find yourself ah band and find ah good position
When de
music blast, you’ll find out how to play mass
When dey say rag, pull yuh rag
(repeat)
Wave it, wave it, wave it, wave it
Do yuh ting (Jump up)
Do
yuh ting (Wine up)
8 Professor Gordon Rohlehr lectures at the University of the West Indies,
St. Augustine Campus,Trinidad and Tobago. As an historian, he has written
seminal works on calypso and society in Trinidad and Tobago. The full text of
this excellent discourse on the commodification of calypso music titled We
Getting the Kaiso that we Deserve: Calypso and the World Music Market is
available at the
MIT Press web site (August 8 2003).
9 Rum and Coca-Cola ( Andrews Sisters, 1944)
If you ever go down Trinidad
They make you feel so very glad
Calypso
sing and make up rhyme
Guarantee you one real good fine time
(Chorus)
Drinkin' rum and Coca-Cola
Go down Point Koomahnah
Both mother and
daughter
Workin' for the Yankee dollar
10 Outa Space -UFOs – (Machel Montano and Beenie Man, 1999)
Machel:
Do you see what I see? (Twice)
The people jam up they face
to face
Winning down all dey want is space
The party ram like di human
race
Like the gateman he getting brace
Gather up time to leave dis place
Stop de fuss and cut to de chase
Mount de ship climb up on d base
We
going OUTA SPACE
Chorus: Unidentified flying objects, Unidentified
Up in the sky
Unidentified flying objects, Unidentified
Up in the sky
Unidentified
flying objects, Unidentified
In the sky
Unidentified flying objects,
Unidentified
Beenie Man:
Machel you a go mash up de place
Woman ah them wine up
dey waist
Dance hall ram and stadium so full
And de place a run out a
space
We have to hold ah one flight
We have to leave out tonight
Pack all the bags
And pack all the bands
And we have to pack all the
mike
11 References for discography obtained online: Calypso Archives
compiled by Dmitri Subotsky and Ray Funk
http://www.calypsoarchives.co.uk
(October 21, 2003)
During the 1999 carnival celebrations, Machel Montano experimented with a new brand of lyrics when he composed "Outa Space" with help from renowned reggae artist Beenie Man. The lyrics in "Outa Space" are a skilful blend of the traditional party calypso lyrics – short, catchy, repeatable, chorus: "Unidentified Flying Object … Unidentified Flying Object …Up in the sky" - accentuated with Jamaican reggae refrains ("Yuh ready fe blast … Ready fe blast off now"). The goal: to appeal to and market this type of music to enthusiasts of both genres.