Calypso

Calypso on vinyl: songs from Trinidad

In short: Calypso comes from Trinidad and Tobago and is rooted in carnival: singers comment on life, politics and love with wit and double meaning. In the fifties calypso became known around the world, and in the seventies calypso combined with further influences, including Indian ones, to create soca. The Vinyl Room currently has 29 calypso records.

What is calypso?

Stories told to danceable rhythms: The Mighty Sparrow is regarded as one of the great calypsonians – here with “Hotter Than Ever” and “Sparrow Meets The Dragon”, recorded with Jamaica’s Byron Lee And The Dragonaires.

Plus Lord Laro, Duke Errol with “Calypso Island”, King Wellington and singer Josephine Premice. The sound of the steelpan, Trinidad’s oil-drum instrument, comes from the Rising Sun Steel Band with “Sand & Steel”.

What to look for

Calypso came out in Trinidad, the US and Britain, often on small labels; label and country of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Soca · Ska · Rocksteady · Reggae on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

Where does calypso come from? From Trinidad and Tobago, with roots in carnival.

What is a calypsonian? A calypso singer who comments on life in his or her songs – often with wit and double meaning.

What is soca? A danceable development of calypso from the seventies, with further rhythmic influences, including Indian ones.

What is a steelpan? An instrument from Trinidad, made from oil drums.