Calypso Music in Guyana
About Calypso
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to mid-19th century. It spread to the rest of the Caribbean and Venezuela by the mid-20th century. Although Calypso is associated with Trinidad, Tobago, and carnival, it established itself as a folk form as popular music in Guyana throughout the 20th century. The rhythms used in this kind of music can be traced back to West African Kaiso. This kind of music is very popular in Guyana and it got its origins from when it became popular in British Guiana in the 1930s. This type of music was also used in the ve popular carnival celebration and British Guiana was the center for Calypso during the post carnival season. This type of music spoke of hopes that the people had associated with infrastructural development, and this was often the dominant feature in these songs. An example of this is the song “Shout All Guiana” by Ralph Fitz Scott to welcome Sir Wilfrid Jackson as governor of British Guiana. This type of music was very popular here and used in many celebrations and occasions.
In the 1940s, Calypso became even more popular because of travel between the two countries and also the increased availability of phonographs and records. The genre itself grew a lot as well. In the 1950s, the music environment in British Guiana was very alive and this colony was an important center for the development of Calypso. In British Guiana, there were also Calypso competitions and many popular artists helped it spread and gain popularity. While Calypso was popular in British Guiana, Trinidad is the one to get established as Calypso capital of the world by 1966.
This type of music is also used in the Mashramani celebration in Guyana. The Mashramani Calypso competition is the primary calypso event in Guyana throughout the 1980s. Calypso was used for a lot, such as political purposes and celebrations. Over time, it did change a lot, in the 1990s, the quality improved. This was due to establishing a sustainable and accessible music education system.
After the 1970s, Calypso began to decline in Guyana because it did not have the kinds of depth of traditions as people experienced in Trinidad and Tobago. It did however continue in Guyana in the Mashramani competition activity, with no music presence outside of that season. In the 1980s, there was also a political suppression of public dissent and free expression which took a toll on Calypso as well.