Calypso Dreams

This documentary is fun and well-made, but lacks serious historical depth. There is not one mention of Lionel Belasco, Duke of Iron, King Radio, Lord Ivanhoe, Sam Manning, or Lord Invader. Lord Kitchener and Lord Melody are wonderful, but they represent the second generation of recorded Calypso artists. And let's be honest, Mighty Sparrow is a Soca artist in Calypso clothing. If you really want to learn anything about Calypso, you'll have to do your own research. Watching this film is like learning about jazz starting with Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie and completely ignoring Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton. Very disappointing.

I found the below review of the film to be quite offensive and biased. Unlike that reviewer, I really appreciated the film for the documentary that it is. And the proper term is calypsonian!

1. Of course film quality is not the best because it's a documentary and because of the lack of access that filmmakers in the Caribbean have. 2. The West Indian accent? No such thing! The West Indies is not a homogenized entity as many outsider would like to think. Maybe it would help if one took the time to listen and not assume that everyone wants you to understand their creole. Perhaps a history of creole languages would help. 3. Perhaps it's inward looking because it's about CALYPSO! Not everything must include outsiders. And if we knew anything about Calypso that statement is very much false. As said in the documentary itself, if you research calypso through time, you would find a calypso about the most heightened political events all over the world. After all, "the calypsonian is the poor man's newspaper" (another quote from the documentary. And try reading Constructing Black Selves...by Lisa McGill. This might change anyone's mainstream perception of Harry Belafonte. Also calypso (or Kaiso in it's West African roots) have directly been linked to ancient Griots in the various parts of West Africa by a vast number of scholars both inside and outside the Caribbean. The readings of Errol Hill and Hollis Liverpool would be extremely helpful to the elaboration of these facts.

To anyone who has the balls to the history, they would find that this film is extremely worth while...but I will advise that if you're not willing to negate all assumed notions of the this history or put aside your privilege don't watch it!

I must also add that this film was the Winner of the Best Caribbean Documentary at the Jamerican Film Festival, Audience Favorite at the DC Film fest, Pan- African film festival, Mill Valley Film Fest and embraced by an entire nation in Trinidad, Calypso Dreams chronicles the rich and complex cultural roots of calypso music in Trinidad and Tobago.

Do your research and be a responsible viewer! www.calypsodreams.com/

Despite everything the film did to put me off, I really enjoyed it. Basically, what you get is a bunch of aged calypsoists (some of whom have since died) talking about their music and their fellows, and playing a lot of calypsos, interspersed with laughter. It's the music and the laughter that keep you watching. After seeing this film, I mean to track down recordings of some of the people featured.

But be warned that there's a lot you may find off-putting.

(1) The film quality is the worst I've ever seen. At least the sound was good.

(2) Of course, the West Indian accent is difficult to penetrate. After a few minutes, your ear should become accustomed to it, and you probably will understand what people are saying, but if you have difficulty with accents you may never know what is going on.

(3) Apart from an interview with Harry Belafonte (which is very enlightening and increased my respect for the man), the entire film is inward-looking. Every now and again, someone says that the calypsoists are the heirs to the griots, and you can sometimes get a West African "feel" to the performances, but this wider context is otherwise ignored.

(4) At the same time, viewers would probably welcome a little more social or political context to the songs. That would have to go further than than the film's regular shots of bars, shanties and peeling wallpaper.

I gave the film a 7, based solely on the music and the people.