Showing posts with label calypso. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calypso. Show all posts

The Montagu Three - Love Alone (Calypso from Bahamas, 1961)

(Bahamian Rhythms LTD - BR 37-S).

At the turn of 1960 Cuba became closed to American tourists, which contributed to develop mass tourism (and financial facilities) in several other caribbean islands. Nassau being just in front of Miami, it became one hot spot full of fancy hotels proposing "local" music to foreigners...

The Duke of Iron - Mambo Calypso (Trinidad/NY, 1957)

(RG-142).

Muzzicaltrips loves hybridity, and the Caribbean has been since long a creative melting pot for countless experimentations. 

Ritmo Calipso - Winsop (Tropical jazz from Panama, 60s?)

(Ecoll 001).

Another mysterious 7 inch... Found in Colombia but including 2 nice jazzy calypsos sounding like caribbean 60s. It might be a colombian bootleg, as they regularly did with foreign productions, sometimes changing name to avoid any traceability or just because it was unknown. I guess the original track comes from Panama, as Ecoll label released another miscredited 7 inch from De Briano with the Alonso Wilson Quintet (originally on AWB from Panama, check Musica del Alma here).

Lord Cobra and Pana-afro Sounds (Calypso from Panama, 1979)

(Carnaval 363609).

Calypso is an early swaying tropical style from Trinidad but many productions can be found around the Caribbean: Lord Cobra (1926-2000) was a major calypso figures from Colon, multicultural harbor in Panama. In the late 60s he even made a song announcing the political party of Calypso! Ten years later he still delivers fresh and funny sounds...

Caribbean Rhythms from San Andres (Folklore, 1957)

(Folkways FW 8811).

San Andres is a caribbean island with english west indies influence. This is noticeable musically, but this island having being part of nicaraguan and now colombian territory, it also integrates latin culture and spanish language.

Goombay! - Brown Skin Gal (Tropical jazz from Bahamas, 60s)

(DECCA ED 2500).

Many orchestras in the Caribbean where initially playing in fancy hotels, and this so called "Authentic Calypso Beat of the Bahamas" is played by Beacham Coakley's Emerald Beach Hotel Orchestra (the singer is Vincent Martin). Goombay corresponds to the name of a bahamian goatskin-headed drum (different from the jamaican squared drum gumbe), but also corresponds to the style of this music which can be considered as a kind of calypso using this specific drum.