Weekend Calypso Treat #1 - Jumbie Jamboree

I've got a lot of records and some of the tunes that are heaped in the "duppy" box are not exactly Jamaican and would probably never make it in the yearly Spooktaculars. The problem is, I enjoy these spooky Caribbean tunes nearly as much as the music I feature on a weekly basis (or more correctly whenever I get off my ass and put something together basis) and I wanted to share them with the readers and listeners of the blog.

So during the month of October, in keeping with the goal of 31 days of blogging as set forth, I present for you a few weekend calypso sweets to fill your trick or treat bags. These tunes are completely separate from the Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular but I think you will enjoy them by themselves.

Instead of just taking the lazy route and throwing up a link to download the MP3s, I've posted them as videos so you can listen to them while browsing for more exciting content than my incessant droning.

We're starting it off with "Jumbie Jamboree" from the Brute Force Steel Band hailing from the island of Antigua. This one was pressed on Stanley Motta's MRS (Motta Recording Studios) label circa the late 50s... for those who don't know Motta was thee pioneer in the creation of the Jamaican recording industry by releasing a large batch of mento records to the outside world.

The Brute Force Steel Band was one of the first steel band to travel outside of Antigua to New York in the early 1950s and were stopped at customs upon their arrival. US Customs held them up because they had no clue that the steel pan instruments they were carrying were in fact instruments. In order to prove it Brute Force set up and performed an impromptu concert for the assembled customs agents and upon their completion were allowed to enter.

These sounds, for the most part, are definitely not Jamaican... but they are enjoyable and seasonally appropriate nonetheless!