The Ark of the Diaspora: Kobo Town - "Jumbie in the Jukebox"

 Uploaded by Cumbanchamusic..............................................................................................................................  

 

A Note From The Gull

 "I want to recover what is beautiful, what is powerful. - Drew Gonzalves"

Thank you, Drew Gonzalves and Kobo Town.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Pig Calypso [Song]

Uploaded by ScrapsG
PIG CALYPSO
Performed by Miss Piggy, Kermit and the Pigs
on the Muppet Show, Episode 221

Pigs: Pigs, pigs, pigs, pigs having fun,
Dancing, singing in the sun.
Yoohoo, Piggy, come and dance,
Tell us of your gay romance.

Piggy: All day long I sit around
Dreaming of the love I found,
Because I really love my frog,
And when I love I go whole hog!

Pigs: Pigs, pigs, pigs, pigs having fun,
Dancing, singing in the sun.
Yoohoo, Piggy, come and dance,
Tell us of your gay romance.

Piggy: Kermie is the reason why
I have this twinkle in my eye.
Kermie, Kermie, shy and cute,
How I love that handsome brute!

Pigs: Pigs, pigs, pigs, pigs having fun,
Dancing, singing in the sun.
Yoohoo, Kermit, come and dance,
Tell us of your gay romance.

Kermit: Frog has come to have his say,
The pig will never get her way.
Bib and napkin, knife and fork
Is the only way that I'll touch pork!

Piggy: What?! Hiiiiyaah!

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!

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A Note From The Gull

"Bib and napkin, knife and fork
Is the only way that I'll touch pork."

Kaiso! Kaiso!! This song makes me happy. I am not going to say anything more because I don't want to detract from the work itself. The composer/s got it right I think, pushed all the right buttons, triggered all the associations...and even got Kermit to give Miss Piggy some wicked picong. Thank you for the music.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Minnie From Trinidad [Song]

Uploaded by IHEARTTHEWIZARDOFOZ
MINNIE FROM TRINIDAD
Sung by Judy Garland
From the film "Ziegfeld Girl" (1941)

Aye, aye, aye [La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la]
Aye, aye, aye [La-la-la, la-la-la , la-la-la]
Aye, aye, aye [Aye, aye, aye]
Aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye, aye

I'm going to tell you a story
And there's no moral to be made
But don't forget when you're dancing
That somehow the piper must be paid...

Down on an island in the southern seas
There lives a lassie named Minnie Breeze
And all the natives agree that she's
The hottest thing in Trinidad
When Minnie dances I guarantee
With every move of her vertebrae
The temperature jump up ten degree
In Trinidad that isn't bad.

Chorus:
Aye, aye, aye, they call her Minnie from Trinidad
Aye, aye, aye, they all love Minnie from Trinidad
Aye, aye, aye, and all the natives would be so sad
If Minnie ever left Trinidad.

Although the natives loved Minnie so
Minnie had herself a steady beau
A fellow known as Calypso Joe
And Minnie swore they'd never part
But they stepped in only as they could
Min' won a contest for dancing good
So she went away to Hollywood
When Joe heard that, it broke his heart.

Chorus:
Aye, aye, aye, they call her Minnie from Trinidad
Aye, aye, aye, she wasn't good but she wasn't bad
Aye, aye, aye, Calypso Joe was so very sad
When Minnie up and left Trinidad.

In Hollywood Minnie traveled far
They changed her name to Minnie Lamar
And pretty soon she became a star
The siren of the picture show
But one day Minnie got awful mad
A guy got fresh and she said, "You cad!"
"My heart belongs to my Trinidad
My Trinidad Calypso Joe."

Chorus:
Aye, aye, aye, they call her Minnie from Trinidad
Aye, aye, aye, in Hollywood Minnie met her cad
Aye, aye, aye, but there is only one native lad
Gets chinny with Minnie from Trinidad

So Minnie gave up her dough and fame
And she went back to from where she came
But when she got there she heard with shame
That her Calypso Joe was dead
When Minnie heard that, she almost died
She took a gun to try suicide
But as she started to shoot, she cried,
"I think I'd rather live instead!"

Chorus:
Aye, aye, aye, they call her Minnie from Trinidad
Aye, aye, aye, she went away and they were so sad
Aye, aye, aye, but now the natives are mighty glad
'Cause Minnie came back to Trinidad!
Aye, aye, aye, they call her Minnie from Trinidad
Aye, aye, aye, they all love Minnie from Trinidad
Aye, aye, aye, and all the natives will be so glad
If Minnie, Minnie came back to Trinidad

Aye, aye, aye [Aye, aye, aye]
Aye, aye, aye [Aye, aye, aye]
Aye, aye, aye [Aye, aye, aye, aye, aye]
For Minnie [Minnie, for Minnie, for Minnie]
Minnie [Come home you Minnie, poor Minnie]
Minnie, came back to Trinidad!

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!

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A Note From The Gull

How did these songs escape me? Growing up, my aunt was the family griot when it came to American pop music. She could dish out the appropriate ditty for any occasion (complete with credible accent) but how was it that Rum and Coca Cola was the only calypso sung by Americans that she passed on to me? Was it that she found the calypso-inspired compositions too familiar, too close to home to be committed to memory? Who knows. It is never too late to learn and I am enjoying discovering these gems.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

High Society Calypso [Song]

Uploaded by ARMYMan92
HIGH SOCIETY
Sung by Louis Armstrong
Music and lyrics by Cole Porter
Premiered in the movie "High Society" (1956)

ARMSTRONG:
Just dig that scenery floating by.
We're now approaching Newport, Rhode Isle.
We've been for years in Variety.
Cholly Knickerbocker, now we're going to be...

In high, high so-, high so-ci, high society.

I wanna play for my former pal
He runs the local jazz festival.
His name is Dexter and he's good news,
But something kinda tells me that boy is nursing the blues...

ALL:
In high, high so-, high so-ci, high society.
High society
High, high so-, high so-ci, high society.


ARMSTRONG:
He's got the blues 'cause his former wife
Begins tomorrow a brand new life.
She started lately a new affair
And now the silly chick is gonna marry a square...

ALL:
High, high so-, high so-ci, high society,
High, high so-, high so-ci, high society.

ARMSTRONG:
But, Brother Dexter, just trust your Satch,
To stop that wedding and kill that match.
I'll toot my trumpet to start the fun,
And play in such a way that she'll come back to you, son...

ALL:
In high, high so-, high so-ci, in high so-ci-ety.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!
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A Note From The Gull

What would we do without YouTube? I would have never known about this calypso inspired song and the movie by the same name.

Thank you, YouTube! Is that like saying "Thank You" to an ATM? Well, I do that too!

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

The Benjamin Calypso

The Benjamin Calypso - A musical segment from the film Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat featuring Donny Osmond, Richard Attenborough and Joan Collins. This clip features Joseph, the narrator, Maria Freidman, and the brothers

Brothers:
Oh no! Not he!
How you can accuse him is a mystery
Save him! Take me!
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree

Judah:
I hear the steel drums sing their song
They're singing, "Man, you know you've got it wrong"
I hear the voice of the yellow bird
Singing in the tree, "This is quite absurd!"

Oh yes! [Oh yes!] It's true! [It's true!]
Benjamin is straighter than the big bamboo
No if's [No if's] No but's [No but's]
Benjamin is honest as coconuts

Sure as the tide wash the golden sand
Benjamin is an innocent man
Sure as bananas need the sun
We are the criminal, guilty ones

Oh no! [Oh no!] Not he! [Not he!]
How you can accuse him is a mystery
Save him! [Save him!] Take me! [Take me!]
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree

La la la la la la la

Oh no! Not he!
How can you accuse him is a mystery
Save him! Take me!
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree

Judah:
Sure as the tide wash the golden sand
Benjamin is an innocent man
Sure as bananas need the sun
We are the criminal, guilty ones.

Oh no! [Oh no!] Not he! [Not he!]
How you can accuse him is a mystery
Save him! [Save him!] Take me! [Take me!]
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree.

La la la la la la la

Oh no! Not he!
How you can accuse him is a mystery
Save him! Take me!
Benjamin is straighter than the tall palm tree

Each of the brothers fell to his knees
Show him some mercy, oh mighty one, please
He would not do this, he must have been framed
Jail us and beat us, we should be blamed.
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A Note From The Gull

With this I begin collecting calypso inspired foreign compositions. This song sounds very much like "Island in the Sun" which was popularised by Harry Belafonte.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Robert Mitchum Sings Calypso??

Robert Mitchum's version of the 1934 original "Ugly Woman" by Roaring Lion

If you want to be happy living a king's life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
If you want to be happy living a king's life
Never make a pretty woman your wife
Now all you have to do is just what I say
And then you may be jolly, merry and gay
Therefore, from a logical point of view
Better marry a woman uglier than you
[From a logical point of view
Always marry a woman uglier than you]

A pretty woman make her husband look small
And very often cause his downfall
Soon as she marry, there and then she'll start
To do the things that will break your heart
And when you think that she is belonging to you
She's calling somebody else dou dou
Man, from a logical point of view
Better marry a woman uglier than you
[From a logical point of view
Always marry a woman uglier than you.]

But if you make an ugly woman your wife,
You can be sure you will be happy in all your life
She will never do things in a funny way
To allow the neighbour have their things to say
She wouldn't disregard her husband at all
By exhibiting herself to Peter and Paul
Man, from a logical point of view
Better marry a woman uglier than you
[From a logical point of view
Always marry a woman uglier than you.]

An ugly woman give you your meals on time
And try to make you comfortable in mind
At time when you lie sick in your cozy bed
She will both caress you and scratch your head
And as ah mean it in the night will she leave you alone?
It seem she want to melt the cold from your bone
Man, from a logical point of view
Better marry a woman uglier than you
[From a logical point of view
Always marry a woman uglier than you.]

If a man that's not your friend say that you have no taste
Marry an ugly woman above disgrace
One who is cute looking, barbarous and rough
With skin like alligator, humpy and tough
Pigeon toe, bow-leg, a cross in her eye
She got two lip that look like a big bow tie
Boy, from a logical point of view
Better marry a woman uglier than you
From a logical point of view
Always marry a woman uglier than you
From a logical point of view
Always marry a woman uglier than you.
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A Note From The Gull

"Surprised that Robert Mitchum sings Calypso? It would be stranger if he couldn't. Fact is, he was learning the fascinating language of Calypso long before it became the rage in the U.S.A. And he was learning it in its true home, Trinidad"...Read more

You can listen to some samples from his album "Calypso, Is Like So" which was issued first in 1957 and has now been remastered and back in release through Caroline records in 1995.

Wikipedia covers this lesser know aspect of Mitchum's career, "After hearing traditional calypso music and meeting artists such as Mighty Sparrow and Lord Invader while filming "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" in the Caribbean island of Tobago, he recorded "Calypso — Is Like So..." in March of 1957. On the original album, released through Capitol Records, he emulated the calypso sound and style, even adopting the style's unique pronunciations and slang."

Others might disagree, but I think he did a great job and it shows that he really listened to and loved calypso. One reviewer notes that some might find the way in which he imitated our "broken English" to be distasteful. Apart from the fact that our English isn't broken, Trinbagonians return the favour all the time and it's refreshing for a change to see imitation going the other way. Anyway, there is a big difference between imitation as flattery where the one imitating genuinely wants to adopt something that he finds admirable; and imitation as mockery, where the one imitating does so to deride and denigrate. Robert Mitchum's efforts fall into the former category and I remain impressed.

See the original lyrics by The Roaring Lion (1934)

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare