The Key Years
The calypsos performed between the years of 1958 and 1985 inclusive, were mostly based on personal experiences and social commentaries on matters that were bothering the calypsonians of that time. Many calypsonians such as, Melville ‘King Solo’ Constance , Hayden ‘Lord Tokyo’ Desiree, and Roland ‘De Mighty Spider’ James are all clear examples of this. Tokyo in 1968 spoke of a personal experience in his song ‘Pumping Man’. Tokyo was noted for his moves stage. He was a very vigorous singer and in this song he spoke of how the crowd enjoyed his moves onstage.
In 1970 Tokyo took the country by storm with his hit “Tennis Shoe Scandal”. Taking the song literally the song is a socio-cultural commentary of how families had to struggle to keep their children clothed. The child had this one shoe and her friend tried it on bursting it. However, it must be noted that calypso always has a double meaning and Tokyo was always noted for his high levels of wit and masking ability. So understanding that, we see that that song was about sex the tennis shoe tongue being the young lady’s innocence and the ‘big foot’ being the young man's manhood. Sexual innuendos were a big thing of the time and it made calypso all the better.
1975 dawned the a new day in the calypso era when Solo, Dominica's second three-peat calypso king, won his second of what became to be 4 crowns. One of the songs he sang, which bestowed upon him fame for many years to come, was ‘Janie Scandal’. This song was about a carnival jump-up encounter from the year before. Janie, a young lady, was all over solo and acting mad embarrassing herself. Another of solos fine composition is ‘Mass in De Cemetery’ in 1977. This song later became Dominica’s greatest Road March song. He speaks of an experience after a carnival party while walking between the Methodist and Catholic cemeteries, where he heard many musicians who had passed away having a mass in the cemetery. He sings:
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Original Lyrics Ah nou Joue C'est carnaval ah nou joue Nou pas melee C'est bacchanal nou le joues nou ki joue sa pierce blesee Ces longs temps nou couche a sel cote Ah nou joue avant cinq heure sonne Pou nou viwe posee |
English Translation Let us play It's carnival let us play We doh care is bacchanal we want to play We will play without hurt Is long time wel lie down in one place Let us play Before 5 o'clock ring For us to go back and rest |
This calypso in its master composition and the particular lyrics used addresses many issues of carnival at the time.