On Friday, Jesse took a group from Chaguaramas on an evening trip to listen to Pan and Calypso at the Savannah in downtown Port of Spain. This is a regular event, in this case leading up to Trinidad's Independence Day celebrations next week. The entertainment Friday included a Steel Pan band, the Desperadoes, and four Calypso acts backed by 'Cummings & the Wailers'. The event was well attended; the music seems very popular with locals. We drank beer, and some bought food, and tried to understand the Calypso lyrics! It was partly the accents and partly the local political references. A couple of girls next to us helped on occasion and also explained the difference between Queso (sp?), Soka and Calypso. The Pan band played old songs in a Calypso rhythm and we drove ourselves crazy trying to think of the originals.
The photo above is of "King Austin" the first Calypso act.