Various Artists - Calypso: Vintage Songs From the Caribbean
Calypso: Vintage Songs From the Caribbean
By Various Artists
Very Good Condition
This admirable compilation concentrates on recordings from the '50s, when the toothsome melodies, infectious rhythms, and bawdy double-entendres of calypso and related West Indian styles were on the verge of becoming an international craze. Fun fact: at the height of his popularity, Harry Belafonte was outselling Elvis Presley! However, the tunes on this set are far more authentic than "Day-O." Most of the material comes from the Bahamas, but there are also flying visits to Trinidad, Jamaica, and Grenada. George Simonette's ragtime-inflected "Touch Me Tomato," Mighty Sparrow's "No More Rocking and Rolling," and Lord Shorty's "Kim" are as uproarious as they are danceable. Meanwhile, Calypso Mama comes across as a deadpan Bahamian blues woman on the ribald "Yes, Yes, Yes." Despite the vintage sound quality, these mellow, mischievous tunes are delightful listening from start to finish. --Christina Roden
Track Listings
Disc: 1
- Don't Touch Me Tomato - George Symonette
- Yes, Yes, Yes - Calypso Mama
- Take Me Back To Jamaica - The Jolly Boys
- Crazy Like Mad - Leslie Scott & Irene Williams
- Peas And Rice - Blind Blake And His Royal Victorians
- Linstead Market - Lord Composer
- No More Rocking And Rolling - King Sparrow
- Goombay Drum - The Percentie Brothers
- Fed-A-Ray - Lord Beginner
- Kim - Lord Shorty
- Little Nassau/Bahama Mama - Andre Toussaint
- Barbados Carnival - Mighty Panther
- J.P. Morgan - The Percentie Brothers
- The Limbo Song - Frankie Anderson
- It's Always Springtime In Nassau - Delbon Johnson
