The Genius of the Mighty Spoiler
SOURCE: FROM ATTILA TO THE SEVENTIES CD #6 TAPE #10. NARRATED BY PROFESSOR GORDON ROHLEHR. What the Mighty Spoiler brought to the calypso was something quite unique. Spoiler brought the entire spirit of the street corner lime of old talk. The emphasis on fantasy, which is a part of the whole social milieu, helps to […]
The Calypsonian as a Professional
SOURCE: FROM ATTILA TO THE SEVENTIES CD #8, TAPE #8. NARRATED BY PROFESSOR GORDON ROHLEHR The calypsonian from the period of the late 40s to the mid 50s emerged as a professional figure. He was a man who was trying to make a living from his art, from his job, to get paid for his […]
Mighty Spoiler’s Fountain of Youth
SOURCE: FROM ATTILA TO THE SEVENTIES CD #7, TAPE #23. NARRATED BY PROFESSOR GORDON ROHLEHR. In the ‘Fountain of Youth’ where in his own imitable style, the Mighty Spoiler imagines a world where time can be restored, where youthful vitality can be renewed. It is a whimsical calypso heaven for his calypso soul. Of course, […]
Calypso Styles 1940s – 1950s
SOURCE: FROM ATTILA TO THE SEVENTIES CD #1, TAPE #2. NARRATED BY PROFESSOR GORDON ROHLEHR There was a definite shift in the tone, the mood and the style of the calypso in the mid-1940s. This shift took the form of a break-away of the younger generation of calypsonians from the traditional calypso styling. Therefore, […]
Calypso and the Calypsonian
SOURCE: FROM ATTILA TO THE SEVENTIES CD #3 TAPE #5. NARRATED BY PROFESSOR GORDON ROHLEHR. “The calypso is the most effective political weapon in Trinidad. The singers, all of them, are men reared in poverty and oppression and they sing of the life they know. Thus, it is that even when cleverly camouflaged with wit […]
