MUSIC102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Thick Description, Leonard Bernstein, The Takeaway
27 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Sept. 25/17
Music of Trinidad 1: Calypso
- Calypso music (may be referred to as a genre)
- African traditions, contemporary society, political commentary
- Trinidad and Tobago
- European influence in the Caribbean Basin (long-lasting legacy of European colonialism)
- David Rudder
- “High Mas” (1998)
- Keyboard: harmony goes up and down by steps (not “normal” in Western
harmony”)
- I HEAR: Triplets, key change!, steady beat, keyboard is doing same riff,
key change!
- Class discussion: monophony
- Mardi Gras, secular, buildup to catholic movement for the days before
lent, to lent, and then Holy Week
- [liturgical] CALL AND RESPONSE with Caribbean beat (style of
liturgy but with a different musical style)
- Sacred and secular traditions: Rudder “plays” with
- Very purposeful with his words
- “High Mas” = double meaning
- Call and response is all over music of the African diaspora [the dispersion of the
Jews beyond Israel]
-https://www.google.ca/search?q=define%20disapora
- Call and response is also part of the RC liturgy and culture
- Carnival, Masquerade
- RIGID SOCIAL ROLES can be switched
- “Rules off”, all bets off
- Cultural context + social structure (aspects)
- Don’t need to know dates! Timeline:
- 1498: Columbus (French, British, Dutch)
- 1797: British Rule
- 1833 - 1838: Emancipation
- 1881: Canboulay Riots
- Long history of slavery
- March through streets with torches during slavery. Their permission to be
in public were evoked.
- 1925 - 1962: Transition to Free Democracy
- Still part of Brit commonwealth
- 1962: independent, woohoo!
- Carnival (J’ouvert: “Open Day”)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
- Chantwell/Kalenda Stick Fighting
- Fighting but also for rhythmic potential [chantwell, vocalist, became what we now
know as calypsonian]
- Both people were known for doing social and political commentary through:
double meaning, people singling out, pointed commentary over authority
- Drums banned
- Chantwell/Calypsonian Transition
- Modern Calypso Tradition
THE MIGHTY SPARROW
- See slides for reference to album art
- Reference to Beatle-Mania
- Satire: making fun of how African american (bone jewelry)
- Calypsonians: commenting about themselves and the society they are in
In order to understand these covers, we need to understand how race and class
worked in colonial and post-colonial Trinidad.
- First PM was Dr. Eric Williams
- Trinidadian Carnival Queen, UK
- Idea of “high class, educated individuals”
- Education: to be higher and upper class, you have to emulate “white” culture
- To approach colonial standards
- The way you speak, British diction
- High class individuals tried to minimize the distance between “whites”
- Opportunities were sadly based on skin colour
DEFINE:
- Calypso: A Trinidadian vocal music tradition involving political commentary, sly humor,
and competition
- Sung to music using a combination of strings and percussion in a variety of
arrangements
- Calypso Tents: performance venues that cropped up during Carnival providing a
specialized place to listen to the performances of the calypsonians
- Competition: between calypsonians, kalenda stick fighters, steel and groups
- Is a crucial part of Carnival; wins and losses are determined by wordplay and
groove
- fighting with words
- Calypso Monarch:
- Lord Invader, Lord Kitchener, Mighty Sparrow, Roaring Lion, King Radio, Atilla
the Hun
- Using idea of BRITISH PRESTIGE IN SOCIETY
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Calypso music (may be referred to as a genre) European influence in the caribbean basin (long-lasting legacy of european colonialism) Keyboard: harmony goes up and down by steps (not normal in western harmony ) I hear: triplets, key change!, steady beat, keyboard is doing same riff, key change! Mardi gras, secular, buildup to catholic movement for the days before lent, to lent, and then holy week. [liturgical] call and response with caribbean beat (style of liturgy but with a different musical style) Sacred and secular traditions: rudder plays with. Call and response is all over music of the african diaspora [the dispersion of the. Call and response is also part of the rc liturgy and culture. March through streets with torches during slavery. Their permission to be in public were evoked. Fighting but also for rhythmic potential [chantwell, vocalist, became what we now know as calypsonian]
