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Calypso: Speaking Truth to Power, 1962-2012

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Calypso: Speaking Truth to Power, 1962-2012 CREATIVITY CALYPSO: SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER, 1962-2012 UNDERSTANDING A SOCIETY IN TRANSITION ince the emancipation of Africans in estates to kalenda2 and Dame Lorraine3 yards the Caribbean in 1838, the calypso has in the 19th century; from calypso tents in the undoubtedly become the music of the 1920s to neon-lit forums in the 1960s; and from Schain of islands in the Caribbean with protestors to entertainers, calypsonians have political ties to Britain, as well as the US Virgin today become skilled craftsmen and professional Islands,1 although other forms of music exist artistes singing a genre of world music. By throughout. As a music that dates back to the 1962 when Trinidad and Tobago gained its enslaved Africans protesting their enslavement independence, the calypso had weathered the in song, Trinidad and Tobago has become known storm of censorship imposed on it by Colonials as the land of the calypso, principally because the in the 1940s and 50s, and had become, as main changes to the musical structure over the Calypsonian Valentino sang in the 1970s, “the PROFESSOR HOLLIS years were all started by and among Trinidadians only true opposition”i to upper class groups and LIVERPOOL and spread to the other Caribbean islands and the neo-colonial governments. Truly, it had set the (AKA THE MIGHTY people of the African diaspora. stage, song-wise, for a political overthrow of the CHALKDUST) History has played a decisive role in shaping British Colonial system of government. Whereas Calypsonian and Educator, and changing the calypsonian’s outlook, oratory, before the 1960 era there were few calypsonians, University of music and themes. From an enslaved African to by 1962, hundreds of singing youths throughout Trinidad and Tobago a post-emancipation chantuelle to a 20th century the Caribbean were laying claim to the esteemed calypsonian; from basic African rhythms to a title of calypsonian and commenting in song on present-day soca style; from sugar and cocoa enslavement and colonialism. With more and more singers doing recordings in the 1950-1960 era, with the advent of Sparrow and Eric Williams in 1956 – Sparrow revolutionising our musical world with his unique and historical Jean and Dinah composition and Dr Eric Williams winning with his PNM4 party at the polls and going on to change the political landscape to usher in party rule, internal self- hotograph: Stephen Broadbridge P government and a Cabinet system – by 1962, the stage was set for an overflowing of joy and patriotism in the future of Trinidad and Tobago. The joy was so overwhelming that despite the setback of the breakup of the West Indian Federation in 1962, independence for Trinidad and Tobago was the natural result of the peoples’ joyful dance and song in that historical year. In 1962, therefore, the first Independence Calypso Competition took place at the then Town Hall5 on August 15th to mark the Independence of Trinidad and Tobago, set Undisputed Calypso to occur on the 31st of August. The stage was King of the World, set, then, for a rather unique competition, The Mighty Sparrow since it was the first of its kind outside of the 90 TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE P90-95 Hollis Liverpool.indd 90 23/08/2012 12:11 CREATIVITY normal Calypso King6 contests that took place speeches: colonialism, divisiveness, and rule by After being on Carnival Sunday night.7 Moreover, there the upper classes must all end. was such commitment and fervour among the Before the 1960 era, the calypso as an art reinstated singers that whereas in the calypso king contests form was not accepted in many upper-class in his six singers were always chosen to participate in areas or by many upper-class people. According the Finals, 12 contestants had to be selected to sociologist Pete Simon, it was yet a degraded teaching job, for this historical-singing-experience. The art form (Simon 1969, 32-36).v It was not sung Chalkdust’s contest was won by Lord Brynner8 who, using in churches. More so, school children in most his shaved head as a metaphor to depict both Christian schools were made to do penance pioneering the African and the Indian, prevailed on the during the holy season of Lent, to atone for victory set crowd the need for racial unity. Sparrow placed the many sins that were committed “during the second; Nap Hepburn was third and Lord season of license and festivities…every calypso the stage for Pretender fourth. Most calypso lovers believe, was another wound in Christ’s side and in the a number however, that on the basis of the lyrics espoused sacred heart of his mother” (Rohlehr 1972, 8).vi by Sparrow demonstrating that a model nation As late as 1968, calypsonian Chalkdust was of public had at last been established, Sparrow had won, dismissed from his teaching job for singing servants who indeed. In fact, all the other singers that night calypsos for financial gain while employed as were, as it were, in tune with Sparrow’s dictum: a teacher. Of course the real problem was the were singing a model nation of unity among diverse and fact that Chalkdust’s singing was seen as one calypsoes disparate groups had at last been formed. The that was inimical to the job of teaching in that upper and lower classes in Trinidad and Tobago the singing of calypsoes was undermining the undercover to then had a reason to accept the calypso as one noble profession of teaching. So deep was the come out of of the cultural artifacts that served as a rallying bias against calypso that calypsonian Kitchener call for all ethnic and racial groups to unite and in 1964 was calling for calypsoes to be played the musical see themselves as Trinidadians first. As a further during the season of Lent by the radio stations.vii closet testimony to the call for unity there were several Thus it was associated in many circles with “the calypsoes. Chief among them was the call of the devil’s work.”10 Mighty Sniper in his winning calypso of 1965 After being reinstated in his job, Chalkdust’s for unity of the races since we were all living in pioneering victory set the stage for a number “King Solomon’s mine,”ii and Baker in 1967 noted of public servants who were singing calypsoes that “here the Indian, the African and the Syrian undercover to come out of the musical closet. In jump together in a band” and their children this respect, calypsonians Supreme Happiness “play together in the sand.”iii By 1969 too, the and Danny Boy who were employed by the calypsonian was reminding the upper classes Police and Fire Services respectively were that, in keeping with Eric Williams’ saying, thereby given permission by the relevant Service “Massa Day must done,”iv class domination must Commissions11 to sing. By 1969, calypsonian end. Thus, it must be seen, that the calypso, like Composer noted that a change had taken place; the steelband, supported Eric Williams’ call for calypso and steelband, as art-forms, were now unity of the races, and above all, for nationalism. being accepted by all. In fact, according to While Williams used the steelband as a tool in calypsonian Mighty Composer: “even magistrate the promotion of nationalism in the 1960s (see and police (were) beating dey pan and jumping Steve Steumpfle’s dissertation),9 calypsonians in peace” (Composer, 1969).viii Primary schools sang the messages that oozed out of his many like Nelson Street Boys’ RC with Eric Anatol, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE 91 P90-95 Hollis Liverpool.indd 91 23/08/2012 12:11 CREATIVITY The advent of and secondary ones like St Augustine Girls led recordings. This drawing down of rhythms from by Anna Mahase were now holding calypso all over the world in keeping with the advance Eric Williams contests in schools. By 1970, most of the of technology has continued ever since, so that to the throne churches, professional bodies and upper classes today even though the calypso is yet written with identified with calypso; schools, corporate a 2/2 tempo, one hears all types of bass runs and of Trinidad’s bodies and elite social organisations and state derivatives of the traditional calypso within. politics, the boards annually held calypso competitions The soca change, the increase in the number while the professional calypsonians enjoyed a of calypsonians, calypso tents and prize money attempts much higher standard of living, a great change all added up to making the period 1970 to to silence from the earlier 1960s when they were described 1990 the golden era of calypso. Where before as “social libertines given to wine, women and the 1960s the number of calypsonians could calypsonian song” (Pete Simon 1969, 33).ix A new and further be counted on one’s fingers, as many as seventy Chalkdust, dawn in the acceptance of the art form arose. were facing the judges in the mid-1970s and over That new dawn led to the acceptance and hug two hundred in the 1980s, for the Calypso King the 1970 of the “soca.” contest. Where before few women participated Black Power Influenced mostly by musician Ed Watson who in the art form, there were so many females in on returning from Nigeria gave him a Nigerian the 1970s that a Calypso Queen contest started confrontation, recording, and to a lesser extent by the Indian and the Calypso King contest had to be renamed the army revolt culture that surrounded him at Lengua Village the Calypso Monarch in 1977.
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