Lord mouse and the kalypso katz
Encyclopedia
Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz are a calypso
band
based in Berlin
, Germany
. Starting as an active band in 2008
, their music is produced independently, with help from Cannery Row Records of Berlin
, Jump Up! records of Chicago
, Illinois
, and Zamzama Productions of Paris
, France.
The band is the only Calypso band in the city of Berlin
, and the only calypso orchestra on the continent of Europe. It was formed when the founding members were exasperated to discover that even prominent music professionals had never heard of the genre. Now on its 4th year, the band has brought public awareness of the style to countries all over Europe.
The musical style, originally from the Island of Trinidad
, began in earnest in the late 1920s, when it was first recorded, and grew in popularity in the United States in the 1950s through the work of Harry Belafonte
. Since then, the genre has been all but forgotten, even in its own birthplace of Trinidad. From the inception of the band 2 years ago, the genre has become slowly recognized as a legitimate and dance-worthy musical form, spreading from Berlin outwards.
Although the band is based in Berlin, the members come from all over the world, including the U.S.A., Russia
, Canada
, Australia
, Brazil
, Poland
, France
, and of course, Germany.
The orchestra endeavors to keep its music as close to the classic sound of the 1920s and 1930s as possible, while still utilizing modern recording techniques. While much of its work is original, there are also covers, used as a reference point, by such calypso luminaries as Roaring Lion
, Young Tiger
, and Lord Invader
.
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
based in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Starting as an active band in 2008
2008 in music
2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such...
, their music is produced independently, with help from Cannery Row Records of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Jump Up! records of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Zamzama Productions of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France.
Biography
The main goal of the 17 piece collective is to bring the lost genre of calypso back to public awareness, through concerts, workshops, seminars and literature.The band is the only Calypso band in the city of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and the only calypso orchestra on the continent of Europe. It was formed when the founding members were exasperated to discover that even prominent music professionals had never heard of the genre. Now on its 4th year, the band has brought public awareness of the style to countries all over Europe.
The musical style, originally from the Island of Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, began in earnest in the late 1920s, when it was first recorded, and grew in popularity in the United States in the 1950s through the work of Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
. Since then, the genre has been all but forgotten, even in its own birthplace of Trinidad. From the inception of the band 2 years ago, the genre has become slowly recognized as a legitimate and dance-worthy musical form, spreading from Berlin outwards.
Although the band is based in Berlin, the members come from all over the world, including the U.S.A., Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and of course, Germany.
The orchestra endeavors to keep its music as close to the classic sound of the 1920s and 1930s as possible, while still utilizing modern recording techniques. While much of its work is original, there are also covers, used as a reference point, by such calypso luminaries as Roaring Lion
Roaring Lion
Roaring Lion was a calypsonian...
, Young Tiger
Young Tiger
George Browne , better known as the Young Tiger, was a Trinidadian calypso musician.Born Edric Browne in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, where his childhood was imbued with the African traditions of Shango and Spiritual Baptist Shouting, he assumed the name George E. Browne in homage to the...
, and Lord Invader
Lord Invader
Lord Invader was a prominent calypsonian with a very distinctive, gravelly voice....
.
See also
- Mighty SparrowMighty SparrowMighty Sparrow or Birdie is a calypso singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World," he is one of the most well-known and successful calypsonians...
- Roaring LionRoaring LionRoaring Lion was a calypsonian...
- Lord KitchenerLord Kitchener (calypsonian)Aldwyn Roberts , better known by the stage name Lord Kitchener , was one of the most internationally famous calypsonians. He was the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and homemaker, Albertha.-Life:...
- Lord InvaderLord InvaderLord Invader was a prominent calypsonian with a very distinctive, gravelly voice....
- Attila the HunAttila the Hun (calypsonian)Attila the Hun , was a calypsonian from Trinidad.-Person:Atilla the Hun began singing in 1911 and was at his most prominent in the 1930s and 1940s. He was one of the pioneers in spreading awareness of calypso beyond its birthplace in Trinidad and Tobago...