Ritmundo

Calypso Carnival as a satirical mirror of the present day

Calypso music expressed the keynote, sharp poetry the melody. By playing it, singers from Trinidad had been ironically commenting on authority, lies, racism and military rule since mid last century. A Ritmundo special on the Calypso Carnival as a satirical mirror of the present day.

Lord Invader, The Duke of Iron and Growling Tiger

During carnival, daily life takes a 180-degree turn. During this time, mayors symbolically hand over their city keys and with them, power for three days. For this brief period – all dressed up and dazed – King Carnival and the people rule. At least, that’s how it is done in the Netherlands. Elsewhere, like on Trinidad, those keys were mainly handed to  ‘calypsonians’, a singer-comedian and spoken-word artist all in one. They presented themselves using ominous pseudonyms as Atilla The Hun, Lord Byron, Lord Invader, Lord Ivanhoe, Macbeth The Great, The Duke and Iron or, even more menacing, as The Lion and Growling Tiger. From the 1930, they challenged authority through their roaring alter-egos. Using the poetic word as a stinging weapon and satire as a greasing agent, these hip-hop artist delivered sharp criticism on the American and British imperialism of that time.

Alan Lomax

In 1946, during the post-World War II optimism, there was more room for criticism on world affairs in the United States. Especially in sanctuary New York, where the alternative Jazz (Charlie Parker) and folk scene (Woody Guthrie, The Weavers) flourished. Father John and son Alan Lomax were active then as ‘music archaeologists’, recording the blues and other disappearing music with all kinds of field recordings. Less well-known is the radio series Alan Lomax broadcasted from the Townhall in New York around midnight in 1946. In front of a sold-out audience, he presented artists from the emerging calypso craze, among others.

Radio-in-radio

This Ritmundo episode is partly a ‘radio-in-radio’ broadcast, when Lomax introduces calypsonians as The Duke of Iron and Lord Invader. With their sharp, ironic songs, they responded to current events of the time. Those current events showed remarkable similarities to present-day events, such as: American imperialism (Roosevelt in Trinidad), dollar dominance (Yankee Dollar), social disruption (Rum and Coca-Cola) and Black Lives Matter avant la date (God Made Us All). You will also hear calypso songs about the petty influence of big money (Money is King); about how lies rule (It’s a sin to tell a lie); about the Russian threat behind the Iron Curtain (Lift the Iron Curtain) and the threat of the atomic bomb (Atomic Energy Calypso).

Bay of Mexico

Thanks to Harry Belafonte, calypso music reached a global audience, albeit now stripped of venom. His debut album Calypso (1956) became the first million seller. Succeeding album Belafonte live in Concert at the Carnegie Hall (1959) made songs like The Banana Boat Song and Matilda immensely popular. Most are compositions by all these dukes and lords who suddenly lost out. Belafonte’s single Round the Bay of Mexico, an interlude from 1959 when that particular Gulf was still called ‘Bay’, got a new take, including blaring trumpet solos.

Trinidad Rifles

This episode opens and ends with the title track of Making moves by Ghanaian band Santrofi. Not only symbolic of current events and released just a month earlier, but also a reference to one of the sources of Ghanaian highlife. To strengthen their power, the British colonialists brought army units from Trinidad, the so-called Trinidad Rifles, to West Africa early last century. That’s why calypso was partly at the root of today’s highlife. Think of Ghanaian bandleader ET Mensah’s calypso music, but that might be another story for another episode…

Playlist

• Santrofi – Making Moves – GHANA
  CD: Making Moves (Out|here Records, 2025)

• Alan Lomax/ introduction to Calypso Invasion (1946) USA
• The Duke of Iron/ Calypso Invasion (1946) TRINIDAD
• Alan Lomax/ introduction to Rum and Coca-Cola (1946) USA
• Lord Invader/ Rum and Coca-Cola (1946) TRIN
  CD: Calypso at Midnight (Rounder, 1999)

• Alan Lomax / Introduction (1946) USA
• Duke of Iron/ Don’t Stop the Carnival (1946) TRIN
• Alan Lomax/ introduction to Roosevelt in Trinidad (1946) USA
• The Duke of Iron/ Roosevelt in Trinidad (1946) TRIN
• Alan Lomax/ introduction to Yankee Dollar (1946) USA
• Lord Invader/ Yankee Dollar (1946) TRIN
• Alan Lomax/ introduction to God Made Us All
• Lord Invader/ God Made Us All (1946) TRIN
  CD: Calypso after Midnight (Rounder, 1999)

• Growling Tiger/ Money is King (1979)- TRIN
  CD: The Growling Tiger of Calypso (Rounder,1990)

• Lord Ivanhoe & His Caribbean Knights/ Lift the Iron Curtain (1958) TRIN
  CD: Calypso, Musical Poetry in the Caribbean 1955-1959 (Soul Jazz Records, 2014)

• Growling Tiger/ Atomic Energy Calypso (1966) TRIN
  CD: Growling Tiger, Knockdown Calypsos (Rounder, 1990)

• The Lion/ It’s a Sin to tell a Lie (1938) TRIN

CD: Calypso Carnival 1936-1941 (Rounder, 1993)

• Harry Belafonte/ Round The Bay of Mexico- USA
  Single: Round The Bay of Mexico (RCA 1959)

• Santrofi/ Making Moves- GHANA
  CD: Making Moves (Out|here Records, 2025)