Beyond Independence

The 80’s and beyond beheld calypsos that rocked crowds and inspired many patrons. King Shakey sings of his experience in Hurricane David likening the hurricane to David from ‘David and Goliath’. Spider in ‘Sanky’ sings of the trustworthiness of the calypso arena and how he detested singing songs of political nature, so we he decided to sing songs for the dead instead.

In 1984, Pat ‘Musician’ Aaron sang in the arena. Although he did not win he brought out the controversy that everyone loves in calypso. Controversy played a pivotal role in the calypso of that time and made the songs more relatable and engaging. The 80’s also dawned the emergence of a legend Norman ‘De Ency’ Cyrille. Be was one of Dominica’s greatest calypso kings and his legacy live son to this day. An independence parade can not pass without you hearing his hit song ‘Humble Servant’ being played. Ency rocked the crowds with hit after hit with his master composition, this lyricist’s legacy shall never die nor be forgotten.

Calypso over the years has evolved into a beautiful art form and it is foreseen that its legacy will live on for many years to come. It must also be noted that calypso was never limited to the national competition. There was the independence calypso competition and the SMA calypso competition within which many kings and queens were born and later moved into the big leagues. Carnival would be nothing without the sweet rhythms of calypso and patrons love me will always love the beautiful, amazing and fantastic art form and industry we call calypso.