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the Calypso Daughter of Titan Atlas Calypso [ka-lip-so] which means 'Hidden or Hider' was a nymph in Greek Mythology. She lived on the island of Ogygia. In Trinidad and Tobago the indigenous music form is Calypso and it's variations. Some debate of it's modern usage of the word seems to be a derivation of an West African word, 'Kaiso' (a shout of encouragement, Bravo) while others state it came from Spain's 'Caliso' which is a tropical song. Whatever the terminology, it Definitely arrived in Trinidad with the African Griots with a mixture of the French Carnival. The first recording of a Calypso song was in 1912 by Lovey's Orchestra. Originally it was the voice of West African slaves who would deal with the French patois. It finally gained momentum when the English defeated the Spanish in the Battle for the Island that Calypso assumed its permanent place in Trinidad, since everybody now spoke just one language. | |
The slaves of Trinadad were not allowed to talk during work but they could sing. The Lyrics were used in the music to deliver teases or commentaries of social issues (aka Gossip) or political figures of the day (called Picong) to converse while working. The true calypso of today, the kind heard in Calypso Tents during pre-Lenten Carnival has a slower beat and it is characterized by the very commentaries of the lyrics. Calypso music is deemed as the World's most happiest music which is probably why the first watered down Calypso LP (Bellefonte) in the history of music to sell more than 1 million copies! The Calypso dance in Trinidad originally was the Bamboula and or Chica of the 1880's, while today it is referred to 'Jump Dancing' during Carnival in the Port of Spain. Later the Ballroom version (c.1956) was tailored after the Rumba Box Step (when the music is slow) or the Samba (when the music is faster, Soca) with a splash of Bolero thrown in. It became popular in the 1950s due to Belefonte's crooning in the States but most of the music after was not true Calypso music as it is reported that true calypso music needs to be in 2/4 time not the American songs in 4/4. The name Calypso is also used for a certain plant found in Alaska which the Flower Pods look like the costumes the dancers wear. There was also a Calypso playing card game, copyright 1955 by the United States Playing Card Co. Also the song 'Calypso Breakdown' was featured in the movie 'Saturday Night Fever' Soundtrack. | ||
Birth Place |
Creation Date |
Creator |
Dance Type | |||||||||
| Trinidad, West Indies | 1883 (1912) | n/a | n/a | |||||||||
Sheet Music Covers |
Vintage Calypso Music Titles .... | |||||
| Banana Boat (Day-O) |  |
Banana Boat [MP3] (Belefonte) | |
High Society Calypso (1956) | ||
| Calypso Land (1957) | |
Brown Skin Gal [MP3] | |
Hold Em Joe [MP3] | ||
| Slow Waltz and Calypso (1955) |
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Calypso Blues (Nat King Cole) | |
Hot, Hot, Hot [MP3] | ||
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Calypso Bop (Emanons) | |
Ipo Eats [MP3] (Presley) | |||
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Calypso Breakdown (SNF) | |
Jamaica Farewell [MP3] | |||
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Calypso Cha Cha (1957) | |
Mama Look a Boo-boo [MP3] | |||
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Calypso Hullabaloo |
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Man Smart, Woman Smarter | |||
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Calypso Merengue | |
Marianne [MP3] (Mary Anne) | |||
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Calypso Tango (1957) |
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Mr. Trinidad (Maestro) | |||
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Calypso Twist (Bonds) | |
Pretty Girl | |||
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Calypso Mama |
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Put the Lime In The Cocoanut | |||
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Caribbean Party [CD] | |
Rum And Coca Cola [MP3] (1915) | |||
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Cha-Calypso | |
Soca Salsa [CD] | |||
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Chouchounne | |
Star-O [MP3] | |||
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Day-O [MP3] (Banana Boat) Belefonte | |
Take Me To The Carnival | |||
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De Bombo Man | |
Tie Tongue Mopsy | |||
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From A Logical Point Of View (Robert Mitcum) |
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Calypso Boogaloo - Mighty Sparrow | |||
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Gin and Coconut Water - Calypso Mama |
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Ugly Woman - Roaring Lion (1934) | |||
| ... $ Original Calypso Music from 1912 to 1937 |
Night Clubs / Tents |
Theaters |
Locations | ||||
| Calypso Nightclub (L. A.) | n/a | Barbados | ||||
| Crystal Palace Tent (1935) | Caribbean | |||||
| Ciro's (LA) | Jamaica | |||||
| Glass Bucket | Miami, FL | |||||
| Palumbo's Cabaret (1949-PA) | Puerto Rico | |||||
| Railway Douglas Tent (1921) | San Domingo | |||||
| Redhead Sailor Tent (1920s) | Trinidad | |||||
Films / Movies |
Television |
Ballets / Stage | ||
| 1905 - Île de Calypso: Ulysse et le géant Polyphème, L' | Calypso (1999) | Fosse | ||
| Cristobalito, the Calypso Colt | High Society (1956) | |||
| 1956 - High Society [DVD] | Odd Couple - Trip or Treat | Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat | ||
| 1956 - Manfish [DVD] (aka: Calypso) | 1954-1955 -- Imperial Oil Esso television commercial (Clip) | |||
| 1957 - Bop Girl Goes Calypso | 1957 -What's My Line - Sandy Gamory - Calypso Trio (Clip) | Publications | ||
| 1957 - Calypso Heat Wave | The Odyssey (Homer) | |||
| 1957 - Calypso Joe | 1957 - Calypso Magazine | |||
| 1957 - Rock Around the World | 3/28/1957 - Fresno Be (W. Indies complain of Music) | |||
| 1958 - Ay... Calypso no te rajes! | 6/1957 - Modern Teen Magazine | |||
| 1958 - Calypso | 4/7/1957 - Independant Press Telegram (Calypso) | |||
| 1958 - Calypso Saari (aka: Isl. Women) | 4/16/1957 - Tempo Magazine (Calypso Craze) | |||
| 1962 - Calypso Cat | 6/16/1957 - Independant Press Telegram (Calypso) | |||
| 1987 - Podwojne Calypso | $ Carnival, Canboulay & Calypso | |||
| 1963 - Dr. No [DVD] (Songs) | $ Caribbean Carnival: Songs of | |||
| 1977 - Saturday Night Fever (Song) | $ Calypso Nightclub (Los Angeles) | |||
| Calypso Rhythm | $ Jean & Dinah: who .. (Tony Hall) | |||
| Elvis Gift Set [DVD] | $ Kaiso: The Trinidad Calypso: | |||
| 2008 - Calypso Dreams (Documentary) | $ Women in Calypso (Ottley) | |||
| $ West Indian and Calypso Songs | ||||
| $ The Political Calypso: True Oppo | ||||
Other Related Dances of the time... | ||||
| Bacchanal | Cha Cha | Jockwaist | Merenque | Samba |
| Bamboula | Chalypso | Jump Dancing | Pachanga | Shovalong |
| Big Bamboo | Corbeau | La Conga | Petro | Skip Jack |
| Bomba | Crab | Leggo | Quelbe | Voudon |
| Bossa Nova | Chica | Limbo | Rock De Boat | Winer Girl |
| Botay (Bote) | Dale Calypso (A Box Step) | Lock Behind | Rumba | |
| Cake Walk | Dingolay | Mambo | Sad Sack | |
| Calenda | Gombey / Calypso | Marrico | Saga Thing | |
| Camel Hop | Irie Dandy | Martinique Beguine | Sailor Dance | |
| Camel Walk | ||||
Dancers, Actors, Choreographers etc. |
Political | |
| Ann Margaret | Charles Walters (Choro - High Society) | n/a |
| Guyanese Vaudeville Troupes | Elvis Presley | |
Books, Magazine Articles on the dance... | |||
Title |
Author |
Date Published |
Publisher |
| No Listings Found atm | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Musicians |
Calypso Singers |
Poets / Writers / Artists |
| Wilmouth Houdini (1939) | Count Largie | n/a |
| Calipso Trio (Sandy Gamory | Count Spoon | |
| Blind Blake | Duke of Iron | |
| Harry Belefonte | ||
| Lord Fish Ray | ||
| Lord Flea | ||
| Pork Chops | ||
| Prince Charles | ||
Misc. Research Words to Help your Searches |
Drums Used for the Calypso | ||
| Chalypso | Bongo | ||
| Mighty Sparrow | Conga | ||
| Bongos | Quinto | ||
| Steel Band | Quiro (Gourd) | ||
| Tumbao | |||
Other... | |||||||||||||
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