Calypso Facto is a new offering from Bluesnet Radio, home of Blue Dimensions, and somewhat of a trial balloon at this point. We are offering a summer show now, and planning seasonal shows, and depending on the response could expand to monthly or weekly and to more related genres of music from an expanded geographical area. Calypso Facto's core is the calypso music of Trinidad & Tobago (often called "kaiso" in T&T), which at once offers both some of the sharpest social commentary and the best party music to be found.
This debut program "Calypso Facto: Summer 2016" includes some songs that you may have heard "sometime, somewhere" and others probably not, because calypso has enjoyed fleeting moments of pop-chart success in the States - - but most is music that presently isn't getting any airpay in America. The program has songs from earlier decades going back to the 1930s, and songs from the last few years, including old hits from King Radio and Lord Kitchener (calypsonians often have colorful nicknames), and a song that was a massive hit for The Andrews Sisters in 1945, "Rum And Coca Cola" sung by the person who wrote the lyrics, Lord Invader.
This show includes music from singer-activist Black Stalin, and Calypso Rose who led the oppposition to gender bias in the calypso world. We have a song from Bunji Garlin that is one of the few Trinidadian songs to make some waves in the United States in this century, something that sensational calypso singer Heather Mac Intosh sings abut on another song on this show. We'll hear Lord Kitchener's song abut Steelband music (the steelpan, originally made from the lids of oil drums, is T&T's national instrument, and a singular contribution to the music world from this small nation) - - and we'll hear a re-invention ot the song from Trinidadian opera singer Anne Fridal.
Many Trinidadians have emigrated to find work and career advancement (Fridal lives and works in London with frequent visits home), and we'll hear a song about the beginnings of emigration to England from Trinidad from a Trinidadian artist long settled in London, known as "Alexander D Great." The program concludes with Trinidadian singer Ella Andall's spirit-rousing "Black Woman."
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Calypso Facto is a new offering from Bluesnet Radio, home of Blue Dimensions, and somewhat of a trial balloon at this point. We are offering a summer show now, and planning seasonal shows, and depending on the response could expand to monthly or weekly and to more related genres of music from an expanded geographical area. Calypso Facto's core is the calypso music of Trinidad & Tobago (often called "kaiso" in T&T), which at once offers both some of the sharpest social commentary and the best party music to be found.This debut program "Calypso Facto: Summer 2016" includes some songs that you may have heard "sometime, somewhere" and others probably not, because calypso has enjoyed fleeting moments of pop-chart success in the States - - but most is music that presently isn't getting any... Show full description
