Calypso Music in America

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Tracing Calypso music in the United States

1)The West Indian population in New York and the introduction of Calypso to the city and country.

17 pages​

 

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2) The legendary Louis Jordan was one of the first top American acts to embrace Calypso

2 pages​

Songs from 1947/ 48​

Spoiler: performance of song

Spoiler: performance of song

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3)Calypso enters the American mainstream as more acts and institutions embrace the music.

1946​

Spoiler: performance of song

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Caribbean Carnival Broadway Musical 1947

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1950

Spoiler: performance of song

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1956

Spoiler: performance of song

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1956

Spoiler: performance of song

TV PROGRAM 1957

"A Drum Is a Woman is a musical allegory by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington and his long-time musical collaborator Billy Strayhorn. It tells the story of Madam Zajj, the personification of African rhythm, and Carribee Joe who has his roots firmly in the jungle with his drums. Zajj travels out into the world seeking fame and sophistication and melds with the influences of cultures she weaves through the story, which gives a brief history of the rise of Jazz and Bebop. Originally recorded for the Columbia label in 1956, it was produced for television on the US Steel Hour on May 8, 1957. The album was re-released on CD in 2004 with a bonus track
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1956

Spoiler: performance of song

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1956

Dec.1,1956 US album charts

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1957

Spoiler: performance of song

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1962

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1965
remake of Calypso Blues appears on the album

Spoiler: performance of song

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List just includes some the top acts with records that put Calypso in the title. Musicians naturally experiment with different sounds and rhythms. The fact that incorporating elements of Calypso into their sets and albums was financially viable lead to more experimentation across genres.

Not included in the list above are the white acts that topped the charts with cover versions of Calypso songs.
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4)A few things happened in the 1960s that altered the popularity of Calypso in the country.
The center of the NYC West Indian community used to be uptown in Harlem, and Trinidadians were among the most culturally dominant groups among WIs.
Brooklyn soon emerged as the center of the WI community, Jamaicans as the most culturally dominant group. Reggae supplanted Calypso in the same way that newer American musical genres supplanted older ones in that era. Bob Marley emerged as an international superstar, promoting reggae across the planet.

In Trinidad, Calypso star Lord Shorty/Ras Shorty branched off and created a new genre, Soca.
Here he speaks about it.


Soca breathed new life into Calypso, appealed to a youth audience that wasn't tuned into the mother genre.

 

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Calypso Music in (North) America​

Event that really helped to promote Calypso in Canada.​

Spoiler: Promotional song recorded by Mighty Bomber

 

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Found out recently, that the original pilot for Gilligan's Island had a calypso type theme song



This was before the pilot was recast and re shot with the song and actors we know.