This picture was taken from an article that was published on When Steel Talks.
Picture it— New York City, 1912. A Trinidad string band walks into the studio, bows and strings tuned, ready to etch history. That band was Lovey’s Trinidad Calypso String Band, and the tune was Mango Vert. What came out wasn’t just music—it was the first native Caribbean record, the spark that lit the calypso signal for the world to hear.
Lovey’s crew laid down instrumentals with Spanish and French creole titles, a nod to the multicultural heartbeat of Trinidad. There were no lyrics yet—just pure riddim, the mother music in motion. Two years later, in 1914, the microphone captured its first calypso voice: Julian Whiterose, known as the Iron Duke, declaring "Iron Duke in the Land" in English. From there, the genre’s wit, commentary, and Carnival fire began its journey beyond the islands.
We are fortunate to still have a copy of this recorded music and those of the early vocal recordings; they were frequencies of heritage. Lovey’s 1912 recordings—including Mango Vert—still echo today as cultural treasures, proof that calypso has always been more than entertainment. Then came the vocals with picong and extempore styles, continuing the tradition of its resistance, humor, storytelling, and soul.
List of the musicians in Lovey’s Trinidad Calypso String Band:
- Lovey (George R.L. Baille) – leader, violin
- L. Betancourt – 2nd violin
- P. Branche – flute
- W. Edwards – clarinet
- Louis Schnieder – tiple
- E.P. Butcher – piano
- Donald Black – guitar
- L. Demile – guitar
- F.A. Harte – cuatro
- C. Eugen Bernier – cuatro
- Patrick Johnson – bass
- Cleto Chacha – braga
Production Notes/Music Credits:
Post Title: Lovey's Band—the first native Caribbean record—Mango Vert—1912
Artist/Performed by: Lovey's String Band
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Calypso 🎶
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