Lyrad's Random 10
While Mighty Destroyer might have been a very good name for an '80s metal band, it is actually a short lived Calypso artist from the early '40s. The extent of calypso knowledge here begins and ends with Harry Belafonte, which is a shame because it is a great style that is fun, accessible and makes for great dance music. Not a lot is know about Mighty Destroyer himself except that his first recoding was "Mother's Love" in 1941 and he died in 1943. Nearly every calypso artist takes a nickname which they record and the names were funny and sometimes very strange (for example, The Growler, Atilla the Hun, and Mighty Sparrow) and I would guess that they were, at least in part, used for anonymity. Since 1939, the Calypso Monarch Competition has taken place during Carnival in Trinidad. The first winner was Growling Tiger with "The Labour Situation in Trinidad and Tobago" and Mighty Destroyer won in 1941 with a song called "Adolph Hitler." Especially early on, the songs were heavily focused on political and social issues, which is pretty unusual and makes for a pretty unique listening experience. The two Calypso albums I have are themed. The first focuses on the power of women in society and the second is on the modern dangers of Shango and Voodoo religions.
1. Mighty Destroyer--Mother's Love2. Public Enemy--Countdown to Armageddon
3. Grupo Coral de Caldelas--Coro des Macadeires
4. Jimmy Reed--I Got to Keep Rolling
5. Bela Bartok--Concerto No.3 for Piano & Orchestra, Sz.119; 3.Allegro vivace (Dinu Lipatti, Pn; SW German RSO, Paul Sacher, cond)
6. Carla Kihlstedt--History
7. Buckethead--Clones
8. Bob Ostertag--Middle Stone
9. Leaether Strip--Serenade for the Dead
10. Tommy Dorsey--Sailing at Midnight
|