The Rise of the Sparrow
Calypsos have been pushing the status quo since they were performing in small tents for select crowds. Since then, their popularity and eagerness to call out social scandals have only grown. They have a deep understanding of text and language that allows them to create an interesting commentary on daily life that listeners crave. Calypsos used the unrest that was brewing within the middle and lower classes to create this style of music that fed the fire of uneasiness towards the government and told the people of Trinidad exactly what they wanted to hear, but were too meek to say.
Julian Whiterose, one of the first singers to define Calypsonian music, began his career as a chantwell. Chantwells were carnival band leaders that performed in small tents during the carnival season. Whiterose was one of the first Chantwells to take his performance to the street (that would later become known as a “road march”) and change his style into what would become a new genre all together. He quickly became know as the “Iron Duke in the Land” and sang of how he was both an artist and a warrior. Julian set the precedent for future Calypsos by giving himself a stage name and identifying himself as a performer separately from the band he performed with. Following in the Iron Duke’s footsteps (and quickly surpassing him in popularity) was The Lord Kitchener who became such a good road march performer that he became known as the “Grandmaster”. His six decade long career set a high bar for future Calypsos to meet.
In the 1950’s Calypsonian music had finally begun to solidify itself as a genre of music when a Calypso called the Mighty Sparrow came along and used the combination of serious commentary with humor to cover topics from smut to politics. The Mighty Sparrow had such a unique style and feel about him that had not yet been seen in a Calypso, he was constantly praised for his rich and nuanced singing voice.
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Mighty Sparrow Lord Kitchener
As you can tell by the pictures, The Mighty Sparrow had a vastly different style than the Lord Kitchener who was hailed as one of the best performers of his time. The Mighty Sparrow won both the Calypso King and the Road March (two Calypsonian awards) titles with on song in 1956. This was an outstanding feat because in the past Calypsos had separate songs for road marches and for performing in a tent, but The Mighty Sparrow managed to create one song that was a favorite all around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjcoM6wJR4I - The Mighty Sparrow “Jean and Dinah”
The differences in these two songs may not be blatantly obvious, but they are very substantial. Notice that Lord Kitchener features his band far more than The Mighty Sparrow and relies much less on the text. The Mighty Sparrow prides himself in his sarcastic rhetoric and wit, his songs feature him singing almost the entire time to show off his ability to use language and irony to get his message across.
The Mighty Sparrow revolutionized Calypsonian music. He sang about social issues that past performers wouldn’t and put on an enjoyable show while he did it. This genre of music began to fall out of touch with the younger crowd, but it was The Mighty Sparrow and other performers that followed him that brought life back into the genre. Women began to become Calypsos after the Mighty Sparrow came into the picture and were very successful performers as well. Calypsonian music, unlike a lot of music, is a genre that has not died with the generation that made it popular. The music evolves and adapts with the culture that it is a part of, Calypsos continue to be major progressive social figures in Trinidadian culture today. This style of music is just as relevant as it was in the 1930’s and will continue to grow with and for the people.
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