Soul Jazz Records Presents - Calypso: Musical Poetry in the Caribbean 1955-69 CD (Preorder: Ships August 7, 2026)

Soul Jazz Records' 'Calypso - Musical Poetry in the Caribbean' was first issued in 2014 and has been out of print for nearly 10 years. On it's release 'Calypso' was voted one of the year's best 50 reissues in Rolling Stone magazine and received glowing reviews in Pitchfork, The Guardian, Songlines and many more. This new edition has been fully remastered and comes in a new card-edition CD package, with extensive text, notes on all the artists and songs featured, and original artwork and photography. Featuring Lord Kitchener, The Mighty Viper, Count Zebra, Lord Flea, Lord Hummingbird, King Fighter, Lord Growler, Lord Byron, Lord Ivanhoe and other members of Calypso's aristocracy and aristocrats, the album features the music of Calypso in it's many styles. Calypso is one of the most exciting and enduring forms of musical expression that first emerged at the beginning of the 20th century - swinging, persuasive rhythms, brilliantly expressive melodies, and lyrics of great humour, wisdom and wit. Here you will find music from Trinidad, birthplace of Calypso, other Caribbean islands including Jamaica and the Bahamas, as well as sounds from the style's subsequent onwards journey including Britain, Panama and the United States. Calypsonian songs play out a role in society similar to the storytelling Griots of West Africa (and the corresponding music of Kaiso); with their own tales about popular and incredible news items, modern life, local politics all mixed up with sexual innuendo, one-upmanship, comedy and more. This album celebrates a criminally unsung and under-documented art form in the modern age. 'A joyous compilation. Lovingly annotated, it's a glimpse into a now distant era when the Caribbean first took on the world and won' The Guardian