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Nestled in the Port of Spain, the Tom Charles, Fitz Vaughn Bryan, Johnny Gomez and Clarence Curvan Orchestras as well as the Vin Cardinal Combo provide alternatively upbeat and sultry grooves for... more

"High in the Andes, in Quito, Ecuador's most popular singers Gonzalo Benetez and Alberto Valencia combine voices with guitar to sing sultry romance of the Andes, direct from Quito" Perry H. Culley... more

For this Cook recording, the Brute Force Steel Band of Antigua performs mambos, rumbas, sambas, calypsos and meringues plus a march and a bolero. A Trinidadian / Tobagan innovation that came out of... more

In the streets of Antigua shortly following WWII, the Brute Force Steel Band began as one of the ensembles that would pioneer Caribbean steel pan music. These calypsos, meringues, sambas, tangos and... more

Saucy, ballsy, outspoken, yes, but not exactly an "atrocity." Pay close attention to these calypso lyrics by Small Island Pride and Mighty Cypher.

Juxtaposing the musical talents of vocalists Bomber, Wrangler, Killer and Small Island Pride, the art of the 1950s Trinidadian calypso resonates on this recording. These witty songs provide a lesson... more

If, after perusing the liner notes, the calypso on this compilation "still remains barren of meaning for the gentle listener, he is either blind, deaf, dead, or just a terribly mixed-up kid-what the... more

This is not the glossy, occasionally dross calypso that entertains tourists or wins Calypso King competitions. It is more rustic in flavor, speaks more to non-urban audiences and is accompanied only... more

In a tent somewhere in Port of Spain, calypso kings of past years gather to exchange extemporaneous lyrical insults, just like a game of ping pong. The result is highly amusing, highly enlightening... more

Headliners at Carnival and pan competitions, these six champion steel bands from Trinidad offer listeners songs that hum gently or dance wildly. Participating ensembles are the Katzenjammers, the... more

Hardly "primitive," this is sophisticated jazz improv "with the Trinidad touch." the musical settings range from smooth lounge jazz with vibes, piano, bass, and drums to funky importations of... more

Ready for a little "Mambo Chop Suey" with Rupert Clemendore's Latin jazz combo? This group presents the sophisticated sounds of Trinidad, featuring tenor sax, vibes and piano, plus some experimental... more

He is somewhat of an enigma to the Oaxacans. Senor Cruz apparently sings for pleasure rather than for profit. Once a week he comes to the portals or sidewalk cafe that borders the city square and... more

According to the liner notes, "Calypso is... a humor-coated pellet of un-camouflaged truth... taking the opportunity of saying something to somebody in song that you couldn't say in polite society...... more

This recording of hand drumming from Port of Spain demonstrates African-derived rhythms performed in Trinidad and the broader Caribbean region, including the nation, koromanti, manding, halicord,... more

Who first invented the meringue has long been a battle of pride for Haitians and Dominicans. While this recording alone cannot provide the decisive answer, it does prove that the lively dance form is... more

In the 1950s, steel pan and calypso, imported from Trinidad and Tobago, were hot in Bermuda. Lloyd Simmons and Hubert Smith, Jr.. sing calypso with the acclaimed Esso Steel Band in this early... more

The Grand Curucaye String Orchestra performs lively old-time Spanish dance music, now a nearly forgotten genre. What is notable about this music is that string instruments are plucked rather than... more

This field recording begins to document the tradition of spoken and sung storytelling in Grenada, a small island in the Caribbean. Full of humor, stories are told in English or English patois by a... more

Rhythmically driven and French-Caribbean flavored, this diverse set of recordings from the island of Martinique features large carnival bands and call-and-response choirs accompanied by drumming and... more

Why "Hellish"? the liner notes explain that it's in part because of the very apparent "pear-shaped atrocities" a listener hears in out-of-tune melodies and unintelligible lyrics. But this is a "basic... more

This Conga is all alcohol, percussion and one Chinese Trumpet. So says Ariel Fiallo Arias, a citizen of Santiago, in describing a music almost singularly identified with his homeland. With melodic... more

And now ladies and gentlemen... Lord Melody's coming to knock you out now. The audience roars as the calypsonian king boasts about his ugly looks and the "booboo" his children see in the yard.... more

Trinidad and Tobago's favorite calypsonian Lord Melody demonstrates exactly why he is the lord of melody in this collection of songs that includes "Crazy Love" and "Dr. Make Your Love." Two songs,... more

This recording features ten favorite calypso songs by Lord Melody, including "The Letter," "Alexander the Murderer" and "The River." No listener can escape the ribald rivalry between Melody and... more