Top Calypsonians

Songs of injections, undertakers, and those lying Jagabat women....it's an album of West Indies music from Top Calypsonians including Lord Melody, King Fighter, Nap Hepburn and a whole lot of guys you've never even heard of, some of whom are sporting snappy fedoras. It's almost all new to me, so it may be new to you too.

Lord Melody Calypso 1962

"You're too fat...

it's a risk...

to teach you to dance the twist...."

From the above referenced "Melody Twist" to "Wau, Wau" (also known as Shame and Scandal in the Family) and girls showing their wam-pam-pam in their scandalous nylon dresses...is that enough to convince you that you need the complete album Lord Melody Calypso 1962 (Happy Harry and 10 other horrible hullabaloos)?

Boomp3.com

Anyone who asks if Robert Mitchum is on this album will be given a large abrasion on his forehead. You know who you are.

BooBoo, PLEASE

I can’t imagine why no one has done a recent cover version of “Mama Look at BooBoo”, the classic Lord Melody calypso song, here watered down and rendered harmless by Harry Belafonte and Nat King Cole …..perhaps it has something to do with the adorable nickname the kids have for their father, or dad’s old school way of dealing with his disrespectful brood.




If you love the vintage calypso, as I do, be sure to stop by Irwin Chusid’s new blog that provides visual accompaniment to his WFMU radio series “Muriel’s Treasure”.

(sheet music image snagged from Calypso World )