Customer Reviews

Calypso

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ever get asked that question about what 5 CDs would you bring with you if you just happened to be stranded on a desert island? Calypso would certainly be on my list, and not just because the sound would go with my new living enviroment, but because the songs are timeless, catchy, soft and soothing, and I never get tired of them.

I first discovered Calypso when I was 13, and I gained a sudden fasination with my parents extensive vinyl collection. One warm summer night while they were out, I put on Calypso and began to dance around the house to the happy and wistful tunes. Very, very rarely do I listen to an album all the way through, and even more rarely do I enjoy every single song on an album. Calypso, along with Sarah M's "Fumbling Towards XTC" are the only albums I can listen to all the way through and never want to hit the fast track forward button on my CD player. I am endlessly glad to have gotten myself the CD version, and I'm sure it would be a salvation to me on that desert island. The tranquil "Jamacian Farewell" and "How I do adore her" for those quiet and homesick moments, "Day-O" or it's sequal song, "Star-O," for singing along to playfully when the days starts of it ends, and many other songs to dance to. "Man Smart" and "Will His Love Be Like His Rum" will make you laugh and want to sing and dance. "Dolly Dawn" and "Hosanna" are terrific, but my favorite is the lyrical and poignant "Brown Skin Girl."

Belafonte's voice is smooth, sweet and dark as molasses, and the songs are all wonderful for any age. This is one of the best CDs ever cut, and I sincerely recommend it to any one of any age. On my desert island, the palm trees will be swaying right along with me as I enjoy this awesome CD.

I have an 11 year old daughter and an 8 year old daughter. When I first played Calypso for them they gave me the usual grief but soon I heard them starting to sing along. They now know ALL the words to ALL the songs. My oldest is wanting the $50 three CD collection for her birthday. Sure beats Back Street Boys, Vitamin C and bad rap.

When I think of Belafonte I don't think of a greatest hits album, I think of Calypso. It was a monster hit album when it was new. It has Day-O (which for some reason is played at Yankee Stadium apropos of nothing) and the sad and beautiful Jamaica Farewell. When my oldest daughter was young she always used to ask why he left his little girl in Kingston Town. You also may want to pick up a Belafonte album with Danny Boy on it. It's not here, and it's amazing.

I own this Belafonte title on an original pressing from 1956 on vinyl in mono (no, not the disease, but the opposite playback sound reproduction of stereo---stereo sound was barely catching on in the late 50's)...Did I buy this back in '56? Nope. I'm from generation X. However, with my eclectic taste and nostalgic streak for music, I first heard Day-O as a young kid when I saw the movie Beetle Juice.Also, my dad used to sing Jamaican Farewell when I was growing up (I never knew what the name of the song was). I always thought the song was titled Kingston Town---or , the Girl From Kingston Town all those years. I've already digressed too much...

Calypso is beautiful and timeless as any Jamaican island itself ! Some will think Calypso will contain the typical metallic and melodious sound produced by those instruments created from oil refinery steel drums. Not in the least. This is not tourist Calypso music either. It is music with a strong Carribean influence and with it's roots firmly planted in the West Indies.Then, Mr. Belafonte took it a step further and made these songs American pop accessible and even worldwide accessible with (back then in the 50's) some modern or contemporary musical ingredients. The last track Man Smart (Woman Smarter), there is quite a bit of South American and Latin cha-cha rhythms due to Belafonte's own personal travels through the region and into Mexico.There is also a strong sense of spirituality in some tracks such as Hosanna about hard labor and praising God.Day O and Star O are based on traditional labor songs of the people in Trinidad loading boatloads of bananas. Also, listen carefully to the lyrics of the last few songs. Some deal with clever lyrics about infidelity and American soldiers who fathered biracial children with local girls. Racy ? By 1950's standards maybe...but the lyrics are cleverly(sometimes tongue-in-cheek humor) and,yes, beautifully written.

Calypso is surely a masterpiece with warm vocals by Belafonte and enchanting music that will continue to stand the test of time !

It's not true that only baby-boomers like Harry Belafonte. We are in our 20's and have loved his music and his magical voice ever since we first heard a song of his, 5 years ago. We have since purchased every CD of his we could get our hands on and find the music not only great to listen to but also highly singable. Belafonte is also a dynamite performer as evidenced by a concert we attended a week ago. In a one sentence: "it's hard not to absolutely love his music".

This is probably our most played c.d. Living in South Florida, this recording just seems to go with our pool, palmetto bugs, and the palm tree lifestyle that we love so much! This album popularized island music, and was played at more tiki parties than any other. I grew up watching white people dance badly to all these songs, all of which are wonderful and have lost none of their appeal. "Day-O"("Banana Boat Song") is a universal classic that just about everyone has heard, but there are some lovely others here also. I especially enjoy the hauntingly sweet "Jamaica Farewell". Just simple little traditional West Indian songs that Belafonte beautifully brought to the masses, who otherwise may never have heard them. Nowadays, if you've ever taken a Caribbean cruise, you may be as sick of these songs as the bands catering to the tourists are of singing them. Be that as it may..., we start all our pool parties with this recording, it has become tradition, and, no one complains (they'd better not!) Belafonte's distinctive, smooth voice is accompanied by authentic island drums and the tin penny whistle on most of the songs, only enhancing their authenticity and charm. A wonderful, classic collection. So, throw on a moo-moo, break out the pina coladas, whip up that jello-fruit mold, plantain chips, salsa, and Spam-pineapple kabobs, and play this recording while you do the Limbo (DON'T hurt yourself!)

Harry Belafonte's treatment is what got me interested in Calypso music... he does it so well. A lot of fun songs on this album, especially Jamaica Farewell and "Woman is Smarter." I'm trying to learn how to play Jamaica Farewell on my uke and this is definitely helping.

This is an amazing CD for everyone who likes/loves island music.

My dad had a record with all these songs. I was so happy to find them on a single CD. Every one of these songs, sung by Harry Belafonte, is great. My sons (they're teenagers) like these songs too. The lyrics, music, and Harry Belafonte's voice makes us feel happy.

I found this LP after searching for The Jackass Song, which had been played on a local non-commercial station. Harry's music is priceless, and I'm so glad that the MP3s were available, since the CD is out of print and used copies are too expensive.