Calypso
Aaaah! Coconut trees, white sandy beaches, and a vacation in the Caribbean islands are what comes to mind when we hear the sounds of Calypso music.
Calypso rhythms can be traced to the arrival of the first African slaves brought to work in the sugar plantations of Trinidad. Forbidden to talk to each other and robbed of all links to family and home, the slaves began to sing songs. They used calypso (which can be traced back to West African Kaiso) as a means of communication and to mock the slave masters. They also invented the steel drum out of old oil barrels. The steel drum (or pan, as the natives call it) has a bell-like quality that gives Calypso music a joyous sound.
Most Calypso melodies are fun, diatonic, and syncopated. The bass parts are fairly simple, but they need to lock with the drummer and stay there. Examples 1, 2, 4, and 5 are some samples of Calypso bass lines. Ex 3 is a half-time walk. Anytime you’re on a gig playing Calypso music and the leader asks you to walk, that means walk in half-time. Do not go into a double-time walk! You may not be called back!
Get your hands on some recordings of the Mighty Sparrow, Lord Kitchener, and Calypso Rose to name a few, and listen to the role of the bass in this music. Until the next time, keep on groovin’.
