Don't be biased
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/
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/
- complexnluvnit
- Apr 5, 2009