CALYPSO AND SOCAWWW.STEFANWALCOTT.COM

Modern and Popular

The Soundtrack

During the nineteenth century, songs in Trinidad called cariso or caliso are said to have been performed to the accompaniment of the goatskin drum, shac-shacs and scraper.

Black Creoles had also adopted woodwind and string instruments influenced by Venezuelan string bands.

They were also Carnival songs called ‘calendas’ or lavways sung in French Creole by negre jardin stickmen and their followers.

Calypso in the 1950’s By the 1950’s

Calypso had evolved into a standardised instrumental form.

The sound consisted of brass and rhythm section.

Set of standardised lyrical material had also emerged.

Lyrical Themes of Calypsos

Social Commentary. ‘Fun’ Battle Dance

Social Commentary

Social commentary - Lyrics usually focus on recent socio-economic issues, regional or local political events, important international historical events/personalities, regional personalities, cricket.

Perspective is from Afro worldview.

Fun Calypso

Calypso used to derive humour. Uses double entendre where one word

has more than one meaning. This is manipulated through dialect devices.

Frequently sexual (hetero) in nature.

Battle Calypso

B.C – Used for self-aggrandizement and to challenge and demean other artists.

Other calypsos can have B.C components especially in a live setting as part of an improvised or ‘picong’ verse.

Picong songs are entirely devoted to battling. Sung in competition.

Present Function

Calypso is mostly now a seasonal music usually created for the sake of competitions that occur at festivals/carnivals.

It is mostly performed in standard form.

Artists TnT - The Mighty

Sparrow, Lord Kitchener, Roaring Lion, Executor, Chalkdust, Lord Invader, Houdini, Duke, Calypso Rose.

Barbados – Red Plastic Bag, Gabby, Bumba, Serenader, Kid Site.

St. Vincent – Beckett.

Antigua – Short Shirt

Soca

In the 1970s under the influence of soul music, Calypso underwent a change.

The electric bass and the way it functioned within soul ensembles were introduced to Calypso.

Resultant musical change led to creation of Soca.

Early innovator Garfield Blackman whose first influence was Indian music.

Soca is pre-dominantly a dance music.

Soca instrumentation

No standard line up with exception of rhythm section

Keys, Bass, Drums with frequent presence of drum machine instead of live percussionist.

Soca Construction

Soca choruses are repetitive and verses are short.

It is comparatively quicker than Calypso.

Lyrical themes

Frequently features dance lyrics or movement words e.g. Jump, Wine, Wave.

‘Fun calypso’ double-entendre also found.

Soca- The Sound

Since the 1970s, Soca has been a popular form that quickly to embraces technological changes.

Later Soca incorporates the drum machine and is heavily synthesised.

Through the years it has always been influenced by American popular music.

Modern Soca

Modern Soca uses marketing devices of Pop music.

Artists are constantly focused on increased international appeal especially in North American non-immigrant market.

Artists TnT – Super Blue, Tambu,

Machel Montano, Destra, Shurwayne Winchester, Kes the Band, Kerwin Dubois, Bunji Garlin, Fay Ann Lyons

Barbados – Alison Hinds Rupee, Edwin Yearwood and Krosfyah

Grenada – Tall Pree, Mr. Killa

St. Vincent – Skinny Fabulous

Antigua – Burning Flames

www.stefanwalcott.com for more see link www.stefanwalcott

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wp.me/p3MXGX-3 For music

examples, look out in July 2014 for Caribbean Composers Handbook in Amazon.com under Stefan Walcott.