While most of my friends are freezing up in the Great White North, I'm relaxing with a rum-filled coconut in California. But even cowboys get the blues, and those of us living in paradise have no exception.
That's why I whipped up a mix of sad, scary and lonesome tunes from the Caribbean islands for you all this winter. I hope you enjoy.
Notes of Import:
Calypso is really cool. Not only did Calypso musicians have super awesome names like Lord Executor, Roaring Lion and Attilla the Hun, dressed in crazy costumes and had giant-sized personalities (I think you could make a case that the first ever recorded music beef/dis-rap was between Calypsonians, I'll get to more on that later) but Calypso musicians used the traditional format of the calypso to talk pretty explicitly about everything from current events to sports to how they felt about each other and the world around them.
For instance, Lord Caresser (also known as The Caresser, what a tight name) wrote Edward VIII on the eve of said Monarch's abdication, giving listeners information on what was going on in the British Royal Family during that turbulent time. Lord Executor's "Seven Skeleton's Found in the Yard" is about an actual event in which some construction workers dug up seven skeletons of people who were apparently murdered when working on a site in Trinidad. There are TONS of other examples of calypsonians discussing current events. If you're interested, peep Rounder's dope compilation Roosevelt in Trinidad which is at once a historical document and a kick ass Calypso compilation.
But calypsos can also be very personal. Check out Roaring Lion's "Death" or Atilla the Hun's "Dorothea" for some real personal looks into love and death (the greatest topics of all). Caresser's "Exploiting" takes a political turn, while Blind Blake (yes that Blind Blake)'s "Peas and Rice" Alick Nkhata's "Subsistence" and Nat King Cole's "Calypso Blues" all discuss the hardships of island life.
Probably my favorites on this mix, though, are Wilmoth Houdini's "War Declaration" followed up by Lord Executor, Roaring Lion and Atilla the Hun's "War". Basically it breaks down to this. Houdini moved to New York in the 30s to perform calypsos for the white folk who were starting to go crazy for calypso. Executor, Lion and Atilla all thought that this was pretty wack and began to talk smack about Mr. Houdini, so Houdini recorded "War Declaration" basically a straight up "I'm cool, y'all suck" track that anyone who has ever listened to rap music would be familiar with. The COOLEST part about this is that Executor, Lion and Atilla got together and recorded "War" - a dis track of the highest order that could go toe-to-toe with any Eminem beef track in my opinion.
Also don't miss Henri Debs' superlative zouk jam "Ti Cou a Vou" Felix and his Krazy Kats' take on "Bei Mir Bist Du Shein" (maybe you're familiar with the Andrews Sisters' version? And Luiz Gonzaga's "A Morte Do Vaquero" which, while not technically of Caribbean origin, still fits the bill, methinks.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention. Pay attention to C.W. Stoneking's "The Love me or Die" this dude is making music currently and is basically the Tom Waits of calypso music.
So, pour yourself a rum punch, pop on your headphones and imagine that Blue Tropical Moonlight coming down through the palms.
Tracklist
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1) Lord Caresser - Edward the VIII
2) Roaring Lion - Death
3) Atilla the Hun - Dorothea
4) Lord Executor - Seven Skeletons Found in the Yard
5) Wilmoth Houdini - War Declaration
6) Lord Executor, Roaring Lion, Atilla the Hun - War
7) Alick Nkhata's Band - Subsistence
8) Luiz Gonzaga - A Morte Do Vaquerho
9) Heri Debs - Ti Cou a Vou
10) Young Tiger - Sadu Man
11) Felix and his Krazy Kats - Bei Mir Bist Du Shein
12) Wilmoth Houdini - Cecilia
13) King Radio - Old Men Come Back Again
14) Lord Caresser - Exploiting
15) Small Island Pride - Bad Payment
16) C.W. Stoneking - The Love Me or Die
17) Blind Blake - Peas and Rice
18) Nat King Cole - Calypso Blues
C/A/L/Y/P/S/O/B/L/U/E/S
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