First Official Calypso Tent
by Calypso View on Sunday, December 26, 2010 at 12:29pm
The First Calypso Tent
Bamboo is a sacred material for the Calypso art form. Why? Because the first official haven for the calypso and it exponents was to be found under the shelter of bamboo tents. Usually situated at the back yard of a masquerade carnival band the bamboo structure was decorated and covered with palm and coconut branches each carnival season.
Indeed their was no state of the art lighting system available to compliment these masterful artist, however, illumination of the facility was provided by the good old and still very much reliable Pitch Oil lamps. The bamboo also came in handy for seating accommodation and general comfort came via the lyrics and presentations of the night.
According to a line in the song “Last Badjohns of Calypso, sung by the Last Badjohn of Calypso himself King Kurt Allen, “I wasn’t yet alive to witness first hand and see, but the Lord Kitchener, Terror and Preddie explained these stories to me”.
Revolutionary Calypso Tent - 1921
In 1921, who gave the Calypso art form a face lift in perception and status? This honour goes to a Visionary Calypsonian named Railway Douglas. To many, Douglas’s tent was considered the first real Calypso tent that paved the way for the present modern day version. After all, it was the first time that Calypso was being presented in a true professional style, being staged in a rented hall with comfortable and adequate seating not to mention electrical lighting. Undoubtedly this was to rush in a new dawn for the genre and practitioners.
Calypso View Hall of Famer - Railway Douglas
With the success of the Railway Douglas module, the next decade, 1930's, saw the influx of several calypso tents in and around Port of Spain, San Juan and other places.
Railway Douglas contribution to the development of Calypso cannot be challenged by any measure. Today when we look at how the calypso is presented in the comfort of air-condition halls and as the calypsonian receive adequate compensation for their craft we must spare a little moment to consider this Legend of Calypso and Calypso View Hall of Famer - Chieftain Railway Douglas.
Calypso History Authors Recommended by Calypso View
For more information on Calypso History, Calypso View recommends you read works from the following authors – Dr. Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool, Rafael de Leon also known as the Roaring Lion, Dr. Gordon Rohlehr and Mr. George Maharaj.
Bamboo is a sacred material for the Calypso art form. Why? Because the first official haven for the calypso and it exponents was to be found under the shelter of bamboo tents. Usually situated at the back yard of a masquerade carnival band the bamboo structure was decorated and covered with palm and coconut branches each carnival season.
Indeed their was no state of the art lighting system available to compliment these masterful artist, however, illumination of the facility was provided by the good old and still very much reliable Pitch Oil lamps. The bamboo also came in handy for seating accommodation and general comfort came via the lyrics and presentations of the night.
According to a line in the song “Last Badjohns of Calypso, sung by the Last Badjohn of Calypso himself King Kurt Allen, “I wasn’t yet alive to witness first hand and see, but the Lord Kitchener, Terror and Preddie explained these stories to me”.
Revolutionary Calypso Tent - 1921
In 1921, who gave the Calypso art form a face lift in perception and status? This honour goes to a Visionary Calypsonian named Railway Douglas. To many, Douglas’s tent was considered the first real Calypso tent that paved the way for the present modern day version. After all, it was the first time that Calypso was being presented in a true professional style, being staged in a rented hall with comfortable and adequate seating not to mention electrical lighting. Undoubtedly this was to rush in a new dawn for the genre and practitioners.
Calypso View Hall of Famer - Railway Douglas
With the success of the Railway Douglas module, the next decade, 1930's, saw the influx of several calypso tents in and around Port of Spain, San Juan and other places.
Railway Douglas contribution to the development of Calypso cannot be challenged by any measure. Today when we look at how the calypso is presented in the comfort of air-condition halls and as the calypsonian receive adequate compensation for their craft we must spare a little moment to consider this Legend of Calypso and Calypso View Hall of Famer - Chieftain Railway Douglas.
Calypso History Authors Recommended by Calypso View
For more information on Calypso History, Calypso View recommends you read works from the following authors – Dr. Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool, Rafael de Leon also known as the Roaring Lion, Dr. Gordon Rohlehr and Mr. George Maharaj.
