Various - Calypso Party! (2011)

01 - cyril diaz & his orchestra - voodoo
02 - cyril diaz & his orchestra - taboo
03 - the gaylads - africa
04 - ella fitzgerald - stone cold dead in the market
05 - ella fitzgerald & louis jordan - stone cold dead in the market (ticklah remix)
06 - blind blake - de pig an' goat
07 - derrick harriott - monkey ska
08 - andrews sisters with vic schoen & his orchestra - rum and coca cola (1945)
09 - caresser - edward the 8th
10 - roaring lion - carnival long ago
11 - cyril diaz & his orchestra - chive soup merengue
12 - the talbot brothers - atomic nightmare
13 - the duke of iron - loving woman is a waste of time
14 - lord jellicoe - big bamboo
15 - louis jordan - run joe
16 - g-swing - run joe
17 - me and you - last night (last heads)
18 - lord cobra & pana afro sounds - rocombey
19 - orchestral overture - me ting is mine
20 - derrick harriott - john tom
21 - colin kelly - the snorkel song
22 - wilmoth houdini - uncle jo' gimme mo'!
23 - don cunningham - angelina
24 - rupert clemendore and band - mambo chop suey
25 - trinidad steel band - l'homme a la grosse tete

Back with a fresh compilation out of my musical treasure box: „Calypso Party!“. Since I started buying records when I was 12 years old I have always listened to Calypso a bit – but never really went crazy about it. Always found most songs to be too much on the vocal side – while usually when I listen to music I rather go for a good groove, riddim, beat, melody... I have had a folder of some 200-300 random Calypso songs which I have been collecting over the years hiding on my laptop – so this week I finally sat down and gave them all a good listen – and here are 25 favourites – some well-known ones – and maybe some lesser known ones as well. And beware – there are a few scorchers in there which could set your local tropical dance on fire! Starting this compilation with „Voodoo“ by the one and only Cyril Diaz hailing from Trinidad. Terrific 50ies upbeat Calypso song with some killer saxophone, horns and drums – and some wailing exotic vocals. To be found on a another niceee reissue by the mighty Soundway label. The second song again is from Cyril Diaz. His very own reworking of the traditional Cuban standard "Taboo" - the prototype for the third song: „Africa“ by the Gaylads. Studio One Classic from Jamaica. Now I am skipping a few songs on the tracklist. Not that they are not good – but I am in the mood for some more uptempo Calypso sounds to keep me on my dancing feet – and here the right medicine is: „Roaring Lion - Carnival Long Ago" – which you are lucky to find, without having to pay crazy bankster dollars on eBay, on the not so new anymore „Sofrito: Tropical Discotheque“ compilation – which was selected by our ever favourite Sofrito Crew and released on Strut Records last year. Like I said above – when it comes to Calypso – be prepared for some hilarious lyrics – either some social commentary or much more often just some silly and playful lyrics revolving around saucy or bawdy topics – which would put Mister Yellowman to shame. So the classic and endlessly covered song „Big Bamboo“ - this time in a version by Lord Jellicoe. Listen to it yourself – I don't want to spoil your surprise! Another Calypso song from the „lyrical side“ is the relentless „Atomic Nightmare“ by the Talbot Brothers which was inspired by the prospect of atomic war in the 1950ies. Now lets leave the lyrics aside and go back to some deep dancefloor madness: „Me Ting Is Mine“ by the Orchestral Overture, a hypnotical Calypso scorcher with some serious horns! I first heard this song on the Calypso vs Cumbias Mix by Frankie Francis. Took me quite awhile to track this beautiful gem down with my limited digital diggin' abilities in China. Towards the end of this compilation I am trying to slow things down a little bit – its time for some good Caribbean Rum at the bar. Perfect to play the song "Mambo Chop Suey" from Rupert Clemendore's album "Le Jazz Trinidad". An album that the liner notes refer to as "sophisticated jazz with a pixie beat". The music is somewhere between the sounds of Moondog and Sun Ra – music that is often very rhythmic at its core, but with an earthy sort of orientation that's quite unique. The song "Mambo Chop Suey" has a far eastern theme – let me just quote the liner notes from the original album cover: "What Rupert does with his voice in "Mambo Chop Suey" (...) must remain completely unclassified. Over a steel spring mambo rhythm he cavorts through some unlikely story dealing with an Oriental girl arguing with her Chinese father about marrying a Creole gentleman of doubtful antecedents. Rupert takes all the parts." After this song I am finally finishing "Calypso Party!" with the very very beautiful song "L'homme a la grosse tete" by the Trinidad Steel Band from their 1975 album "Magia Caribe". A steel band song that surprisingly has no steel drums in it – but some meditative drumming and a guitar gently playing along. This again is a song I heard on another tropical Sofrito mix: New Miles Cleret tropical DJ mix. Thanks to Indi-k (SoWhat Sessions) for making me happy and sharing this beautiful gem with me! Enjoy this compilation – and leave a little comment – it means the world to me ;-)

Peace; DubMe