| CALYPSO Calypso music originated and flourished in Trinidad in the early 1900’s and quickly spread throughout the West Indies. Calypso rhythms began with 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 African 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. Its complex, syncopated rhythm clearly reflects traditional African rhythms. Today’s Calypso is most celebrated at Carnival in Trinidad. |
| To learn more about Calypso music and Carnival in Trinidad, visit these sites: |