Ladies figure no more or less prominently in calypso than in the rest of the world's folk and popular music. Their traditionally fascinating, seductive, mercurial and deceitful attributes are as much on the minds of Trinidadian males as their counterparts elsewhere. But if romance is a prominent element of calypso, romanticism is conspicuous by its relative absence. If at first this seems surprising, consider that calypso in general adopts a skeptical attitude about human behaviour. Women are no less the subject of song than politicians and other public figures, both local and international. In either case, the calypsonian offers praise when it's due, though fatigue (aspersion) is more often in store. Most of these recordings are drawn from the Decca label in the 1930s, when the company annually arranged either for calypso singers to visit its New York studios and record with Gerald Clark's fine resident ensemble, or for a field trip to Port-of-Spain, where recordings were made in the rear of Eduardo Sa Gomes' Frederick Street record shop.
---DICK SPOTTSWOOD
Tracklist:
01. The Tiger - Delcina
02. The Tiger - Senorita Panchita
03. Lionel Belasco - Carmencita
04. The Lion - Nora Darling
05. The Lion - Peggy Daniels
06. John 'Buddy' Williams - Marian
07. Keskidee Trio - Marian Le' Go Me Man
08. The Pretender - Adeline
09. King Radio - My Girl Mabel
10. Wilmoth Houdini - Unfortunate Millie
11. Wilmoth Houdini - Cecilia
12. Codallo's Top Hatters - Hold Your Hand Madam Khan
13. Lord Executioner - Sweet Evalina
14. Monrose's String Orchestra - Adelle
15. Monrose's String Orchestra - Victoria
16. Lord Beginner - One Morning
17. The Lion & Atilla - Dorothy
18. Lord Executioner - My Troubles With Dorothy
19. Codallo's Top Hatters - Ida, Ida Let Me Know
20. The Caresser - Ruby Canera
21. The Growler - The Diamond Ring For Emaline
22. Gerald Clark & His Caribbian Serenaders - Marguerita
23. Sam Manning - Oh, Emily!
24. The Tiger - Emily
25. The Tiger - Emelia
Information on tracks:
1. THE TIGER-Delcina
With Gerald Clark and his Caribbean Serenaders: Gerald Clark- guitar,
unknown trumpet, violin, clarinet, piano and string bass. New York, 4 April
1936. De 17273 (60983-A).
2. THE TIGER - Senorita Panchita (Neville Marcano)
With Cyril Monrose's String Orchestra: Monrose - violin, unknown flute,
trumpet, clarinet, piano, string bass and cuatro. Port-of-Spain, 14 March
1938. Decca 17392 (91465-A).
3 LIONEL BELASCO AND HIS ORCHESTRA- Carmencita-valse (Belasco)
Lionel Belasco - piano, unknown clarinet, cuatro and guiro (scraper}.
New York, 17 May 1933. Brunswick 41561 (B13349-1).
4 THE LION - Nora Darling (Hubert Raphael Charles)
With Gerald Clark and his Caribbean Serenaders: Gerald Clark - guitar,
unknown trumpet, violin, clarinet, piano, cuatro and string bass. New
York, 24 February 1937. Decca 17311 (62008-A).
5 THE LION - Peggy Daniels
With Gerald Clark and his Caribbean Serenaders: Gerald Clark- guitar,
unknown trumpet, violin, clarinet, piano and string bass. New York, 31
March 1936. Decca 17290 (60955-A).
6 JOHN "BUDDY" WILLIAMS AND HIS BLUE RHYTHM ORCHESTRA- Marian (John Williams)
John "Buddy" Williams - string bass, unknown trumpet, 2-3 saxophones,
piano, guitar and cuatro. Port-of-Spain, 12 March 1938. Decca 17373
(91459-A).
7 KESKIDEE TRIO-Marian le' go me man
Atilla the Hun (Raymond Quevedo), Lord Beginner (Egbert Moore) and the
Tiger (Neville Marcano)-vocal, with Gerald Clark and his Caribbean
Serenaders: Gerald Clark - guitar. Berry Barrow - piano, unknown
trumpet, violin, clarinet, cuatro and string bass. New York, 22 March 1935.
Decca 17263 (39450-A).
8 PRETENDER- Adeline (Alric Farrell)
With Clemons Smith and his Broadway Syncopators: Clemons Smith -
clarinet, unknown trumpet, 2 saxophones, piano, banjo and string bass.
Port-of-Spain, 8 February 1939. Decca 17412 (91679-A).
9 KING RADIO-My girl Mabel (King Radio)
With Gerald Clark & His Caribbean Serenaders: Gerald Clark- guitar,
unknown trumpet, clarinet, piano, cuatro and string bass. New York, 16
April 1941. Decca 17471 (68974-A).
10 WILMOTH HOUDINI AND HIS HUMMING BIRDS - Unfortunate Millie (Houdini)
With violin, clarinet, piano, banjo and string bass. New York, 19 October
1933. Melotone M12825 (14178-2).
ll WILMOTH HOUDINI - Cecelia (W. Houdini)
With Belasco Orchestra: Lionel Belasco - piano, Cyril Monrose -violin,
Gerald Clark- guitar, unknown cuatro. New York, 1 August 1927 Victor
80077 (BVE 39920-3).
12 CODALLO'S TOP HATTERS ORCHESTRA - Hold your hand Madam Khan
T. A. Codallo - violin, unknown trumpet, 2-3 clarinets/saxophones,
trombone, piano, guitar, string bass and drums. Port-of-Spain, 23 January
1938. Decca 17347 (91361-A).
13 LORD EXECUTOR - Sweet Evelina (Philip Garcia)
With Gerald Clark and his Caribbean Serenaders: Gerald Clark-guitar,
unknown trumpet, violin, clarinet, piano, cuatro and string bass. New
York, 23 February 1937. Decca 17316 (62002-A).
14 MONROSE'S STRING ORCHESTRA - Adelle-Trinidad valse (Belasco)
Cyril Monrose -violin, Lionel Belasco- piano, Gerald Clark-guitar,
unknown cuatro. New York, 5 July 1923. Victor 77053 (B 28242-1).
15 CYRIL MONROSE STRING ORCHESTRA - Victoria-valse (Cyril Monrose)
Cyril Monrose - violin, unknown flute, trumpet, piano, cuatro and string
bass. Port-of-Spain, 4 March 1938. Decca 17396 (91410-A).
16 LORD BEGINNER - One Morning
With Gerald Clark and his Caribbean Serenaders: Gerald Clark- guitar,
Berry Barrow - piano, unknown trumpet, violin, clarinet, cuatro and string
bass. New York, 15 March 1935. Decca 17251 (39412-A).
17 THE LION AND ATILLA- Dorothy (Atilla)
With Gerald Clark - guitar, unknown violin, clarinet, piano, cuatro and
string bass. New York, 13 March 1934. Melotone M12967 (14942-1).
18 LORD EXECUTOR - My troubles with Dorothy (Philip Garcia)
With John "Buddy" Williams and his Blue Rhythm Orchestra: John
"Buddy" Williams - string bass, unknown trumpet, 2-3 saxophones,
piano, cuatro and guitar. Port-of-Spain, 26 February 1938. Decca 17351
(91382-A).
19 CODALLO'S TOP HATTERS ORCHESTRA - Ida. Ida let me know (John Duprey)
T. A. Codallo - violin, unknown trumpet, 2-3 clarinets/saxophones,
trombone, piano, guitar, string bass and drums. Port-of-Spain, 23
February 1938. Decca 17347 (91363-A).
20 THE CARESSER - Ruby Canera (Rufus Callender)
With John "Buddy" Williams and his Blue Rhythm Orchestra: John
"Buddy" Williams - string bass, unknown trumpet, 2-3 saxophones,
piano, guitarand cuatro. Port-of-Spain, 25 February 1938. Decca 17348
(91378-A).
21 THE GROWLER -The diamond ring for Emaline (Errol Duke)
With the Night Owls' Orchestra: trumpet, clarinet, 2 saxophones, piano,
banjo, string bass and drums. Port-of-Spain, 25 January 1939. Decca
17405 (91606-A).
22 GERALD CLARK AND HIS CARIBBEAN SERENADERS - Marguerite-Spanish valse
Gerald Clark - guitar, unknown trumpet, violin, clarinet, piano, cuatro,
string bass and drums. New York, 20 September 1936. Decca 17296
(61278-A).
23 SAM MANNING-Oh. Emily!
With clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, piano and banjo. New
York, April 1926. Columbia 2409-X (W 95121-2).
24 THETIGER-Emily
With Gerald Clarke and his Caribbean Serenaders: Gerald Clarke - guitar,
unknown trumpet, violin, clarinet, piano, cuatro and string bass. New
York, 22 March 1935. Decca 17264 (39452-A).
25 THE TIGER- Emilia
With Cyril Monrose's String Orchestra: Cyril Monrose - violin, unknown
flute, trumpet, clarinet, piano, cuatro and string bass. Port-of-Spain, 14
March 1938. Decca 17394 (91466-A).
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