London Calypso
Keyword(s):
The West
◽
“London Calypso” examines the burst of popular enthusiasm for Trinidadian calypso that coincided with the arrival of the first generation of postwar settlers to London from the Caribbean. To explain this phenomenon, Bidnall traces the calypso’s roots as a vehicle of unbridled social commentary and bawdy celebration. The reflections of calypsonians Lord Kitchener, Lord Beginner, Lord Invader and others, captured on records from labels like Melodisc and Parlophone, were therefore a unique barometer of the rewards and frustrations of postwar migration for the West Indian community. “London Is The Place For Me” may be the most celebrated of this oeuvre, but the legacy of the London calypsonians is rawer and more unbridled.