Calypso

Calypso is a type of music that arose in the 17^th century in Trinidad and Tobago. In its earliest stages it was a way of communication between African slaves working on French sugar plantations in the Caribbean. They were not allowed to talk to each other, so they used calypso to communicate and mock their masters instead. Most of these calypsos were sung in French Creole by a groit. These were individuals who were responsible for keeping an oral history of their tribe or village.

However, now there is a more modern version of calypso that began in the 19^th century as a mix of contrasting elements such as the masquerade song lavway, French Creole belair and the calinda stick-fighting chantwell. And its increasing popularity was heavily connected to the adoption of Carnival by the slaves, including canboulay drumming and the music masquerade processions.

Calypso is an Afro-Caribbean style of music that is very rhythmic and uses a lot of various percussion instruments and even banjos and guitars. Typically, the lyrics of a calypso are highly political but in a very careful and structured way due to strict censorship.

Below is a recording of calypso music which, along with steel-pan bands, is the kind of music traditionally exhibited during the Notting Hill Carnival.