Rapso

Rapso
Stylistic origins	Soca - calypso - hip hop
Cultural origins	Trinidad and Tobago
Typical instruments	Bass - Drums - Guitar - Vocals
Other topics
Music of Trinidad and Tobago

Rapso is a form of Trinidadian music that grew out of the social unrest of the 1970s. Black Power and unions grew in the 1970s, and rapso grew along with them. The first recording was Blow Away by Lancelot Layne in 1970. Six years later, Cheryl Byron (founder of the New York City based Something Positive Dance Company) was scorned when she sang rapso at a calypso tent; she is now called the "Mother of Rapso".

It has been described as "de power of de word in the riddim of de word". Though often described as a fusion of native soca and calypso with American hip hop, rapso is uniquely Trinidadian.

History

Main article: Cariso

Rapso music is itself an evolution of the chantwell or griot tradition of African music in the diaspora. It is called "the poetry of Calypso" and "the Power of the Word in the rhythm of the Word". Rapso is the poetic "rap" form of Trinbagonian music -- the next evolutionary step of Calypso and Soca music. It also has origins in the oral tradition elements of the performances of traditional masquerade characters in Trinidad Carnival.

Traditional masquerade characters, such as the Midnight Robber, Pierrot Grenade, and the Wild Indians, each have particular forms of poetic and musical speeches that echoed ancient African masking and poetic traditions. Rapso borrowed many of the rhythmic and performance elements of these forms.

The first wave of Rapso music occurred in the late 1960s with the invention of Rapso by its pioneer Lancelot Kebu Layne. The second wave occurred in the late 1970s and mushroomed in the early '80s with the work of Brother Resistance and the Network Rhythm Band, alongside other artists such as Brother Cetewayo and Brother Book. This wave mainstreamed Rapso music in Trinidad and Tobago and World Music.

The third wave of Rapso occurred with the advent of young groups including Kindred and Homefront in the early 1990s. They were part of a musical movement entitled the "Kiskadee Karavan" that was led by millionaire Robert Amar, who invested his money in the unleashing of the young musical genius of Trinidad and Tobago. The Karavan revolutionised Trinidad’s music by taking "traditional" forms such as the Rapso and giving it modern production and promotional methods to take the music to stadiums in the native Trinidad and Tobago. This opportunity uncovered many talents on the ground, and created a series of anthemic musical singles. The song "This Trini Could Flow" by super-group Kindred took Rapso into the 21st century and firmly entrenched the music as a form comparable to hip-hop and dancehall.

Calypso influence on rap

The basic elements of hip-hop -- boasting raps, rival posses, uptown throwdowns, and political commentary -- were all present in Trinidadian music as long ago as the 1800s, though they did not reach the form of commercial recordings until the 1920s and 30s. Calypso -- like other forms of music -- continued to evolve through the 50s and 60s. When rock steady and reggae bands looked to make their music a form of national and even international Black resistance, they took Calypso's example. Calypso itself, like Jamaican music, moved back and forth between the predominance of boasting and toasting songs packed with 'slackness' and sexual innuendo and a more topical, political, 'conscious' style.

Terminology

The term rapso was not invented until 1980, when the revolutionary Network Riddum Band with its two chantelles Brother Resistance and Brother Shortman released Busting Out. Initially dominated by the children of the Black Power movement, changes came in the 1990s with the younger artistes adopting the art form, most significantly the bands Kindred, Homefront, 3 Canal and Ataklan.

News Feed

Everard Romany‎Rapso Rebel

1 December 2014 · .

Everard Romany

8 August ·

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Rapso Revelation

Network Riddum Band

Rebirth 
In the beginning was the word and the word was the domain of the Griot. A story teller, social political commentator, activist, musician, historian and adviser to the king. They say that when a Groit dies a library has been burnt down. 
African slaves brought their music and culture to the Caribbean. Kaiso has its roots in Trinidad and Tobago which can be traced back to Africa. The different versions of Kaiso can be heard throughout the islands. Holly Betaudier said that the first manifestation of this art form was the chantwell; a voice for the oppressed slaves. Two of these chantwells; Congo Barra and Gros Jean, were the first glimpses of the Kaiso art form. Running on these rhythms, Kaisonians became the torch-bearers for the continuation of the oral tradition. 
Just to name a few of these for runners that preserved the art form. One of the first recordings of calypso music was by “Lovey´s Orchestra” in 1912. This was only the beginning with many more to follow. During the 1930´s you could hear the sounds of “Lord Caresser, Lord Executor, Mighty Growler, Lord Invader, Roaring Lion, Duke of Iron, Mighty Destroyer, Chieftain Douglas” and many more to come. 
More to come……… 

Lord Kitchener (Calypsonian)

Aldwyn Roberts (18 April 1922 - 11 February 2000) was born in Arima, Trinidad, the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and his wife Albertha. He was educated at Arima Boy’s Government School until he was 14. Better known by the stage name “Lord Kitchener” (or “Kitch”), he was one of the most internationally famous calypsonians. “Lord Kitchener” won the Road March competition ten times between 1965 and 1976, more times than any other calypsonian. He was given the name “the Grandmaster”. His compositions were enormously popular as the chosen selections for steel bands to perform at the annual National Panorama competition during Trinidad Carnival. His most recorded commercially successful song “Sugar Bum Bum” in 1978. 
More to come……… 

The Mighty Sparrow (calypsonian)

Slinger Francisco (born July 9, 1935) better known as “Mighty Sparrow”, is a calypso singer, song writer and guitarist of Trinidadian citizenship. Known as the “Calypso King of the World”, he is one of the best-known and most successful calypsonians. He has won Trinidad´s Carnival Road March competition eight times, Calypso King/Monarch eight times and has twice won the Calypso King of Kings title. 
More to come 
Ras Shorty I (6 October 1941 – 12 July 2000) born Garfield Blackman and also known as Lord Shorty, was a Trinidadian soca musician, known as the “Father of Soca” and “The Love Man”. Blackman was born in the town of Barrackpore, Trinidad, and rose to fame as “Lord Shorty” with his 1963 hit “Cloak and Dagger”, subsequently taking the name Ras Shorty. A prolific musician, composer and innovator. Soca´s development as a musical genre included it´s fusion with calypso, cadence and Indian musical instruments - particularly the dholak, tabla and dhantal – as demonstrated in Lord Shorty´s classic compositions “Indrani” and “Shanti Om”.

More to come

The Jab-Jab, with a beat so sweet and his chant pay the devil, “Jab-Jab I come for your money, Jab-Jab”. One of the forgotten chantwells that still exists. 
The midnight robber, a mystical character telling tales of his fantastic journey on Earth and his mystical birth. That one who´s words could be heard throughout the halls of the Carnival. 
The poets of Kaiso 
The Arrival 
In this musical chantwell evolution, the winds of the 1970´s revolution in Trinidad and Tobago created a conscious assembly of Kaiso poets, criticizing the social and political ills of our society. 
Lancelot Layne was one of the first recorded Kaiso poets of the 70´s 
Cheryl Byron women Kaiso poet early 70´s 
Lacana Kwesi, poets of the revolution 
Abdul Malik, poets of the revolution 
Ceteswayo- “ bad boy” of the Rapso world 
More to come 
Rebirth 
In the year 1972 bro “Shortman” aka Rapso Rebel, Curtis “Slinger” Hughes, Lutalo Masimba aka bro “Resistance” and Wayne “Moopsman” Blackman founded Network Riddum Band and Cold Concrete Network Youth Movement. Bro “Shortman” president of Cold Concrete Network Youth Movement, director of Network Publishing and Record Production Company and area foreman of five contracts from the governments Special Works Project in the areas of construction and sanitation. All arts and craft carving, leatherwork, drum making and ancient African musical instrument were made by Ja Jah Oga Onilu and bro “Shortman”.

“Bro Resistance” general secretary to Network Productions and general secretary to Cold Concrete Network Youth Movement.

Curtis “Slinger” Hughes was the first Rapso artist who had an unrecorded hit that inspired brothers to write the slogan of the chorus “Wuk and Ded” on the walls in the ghetto. 
Wayne “Moopsman” Blackman the captain of the Network basket ball team and the first who brought the steel pans in to the band. 
Ja Jah Oga Onilu breathed the riddum of life into Rapso music. A foundation of our ancestors. He came with the drum to teach Mickey, Wayne and Black Pearl the art of drum making and the art of playing the drum instead of beating or slapping it. He saw the drum as a musical instrument. 
Our watch words were “Togetherness is the essence of the struggle”. 

These are the names of the original musicians of Network Riddum Band:

Norbert “Mickey” Moore, drummer and bass guitar
Steve Jemmot, on tenner pan and arranger 
Wayne “Bongo” Haynes, Africans drumms
Sister Irma Williams the first woman Rapso artist 
Kurt the “Faithy” DeFreitas, double second pan 
Derek Benny Jones, African drumms and double second pan
Clyde Jones, African drumms and Rapso Kasio recording artist 
Cyril “Stou” Jack, bass guitar
Neal “ Tripper” McConney, lead guitar 
Oba Bop, drummer 
Dawn “Black Pearl” Peters, congas 
Anthony Humphrey, percussion 
Peter Joseph Elie, manager 
Ralph LeGendre ”Blockmaster”, the Rapso DJ 

The Rapso musical experience witch fuelled the new art form came directly out of the steelband yards, the drum yards and the Kaiso arena. The vibes and the flavour came out of the social movement of the people for true liberation and self determination. Rapso born out of the womb of the ghetto, experiencing the depths of poverty, hunger, homelessness, and neglect from a society that has placed a black veil of death upon its face. These were the names that was used to describe the people of East –Dry-River, Laventille; criminal, vagabond and badgon. 
Wandering Times 
From pan yard, to blocko, to excursion, to strike camps, to the picket line. This was the platform for the development of the Rapso art form. In these times the art was being used as a vessel to convey consciousness to the people. Ten long years in no man´s land where the pain and the strugglers gave us the will to move on. We had dreams that where to be turned into reality.
In the year 1980 Network Riddum Band released their first recorded album “Busting out” with the hit single “Dancing Shoes” by bro “Resistance”, and “Squatter´s Chant” by bro “Shortman”. “Busting Out” was the first album to use the word Rapso. To the wise one´s who have written several articles on the Rapso movement remember the middle passage journey and our history. The Griot, French word to describe Jeli, is the original storyteller who brought the oral traditions to our beloved land. I would like to state that we never had a father, never had a mother. We never had a king, we never had a queen. The Rapso artist is therefore the reincarnation of the Jeli and we are simply the torch-bearers of the oral traditions of Africa. 
Long Live Calypso! 
Rapso Rebel Excerpts “De Genesis of Rapso and Rapsoul