Calypso Music by the Just Fab Deltones is a very intriguing song indeed. It was done during a period of Trinidad's history when the music was in flux. Just about every known musician/artist was experimenting with fusions of Calypso, American funk, Indian rhythms, and anything that would 'improve the music' to compete against the tidal wave of Reggae/Dancehall and funk music that the radio jocks were pushing on the radio. For clarity, it should be noted that Calypso Music is simply another interpretation of Zapow's popular song titled "This is Reggae Music."
We must also keep in mind that during this period when Ash Wednesday dawned, it was sacrilegious to play Calypso music on the radio! However, all other genres of music were played while Calypso music was sidelined until the next year. The main people attempting change were Lord Shorty, King Wellington, Shadow, and other well-known arrangers. However, it should be noted that in the end, the name "Sokah," misquoted as "Soca" in the press, took hold, and with that, Lord Shorty with Endless Vibrations cemented his place in the "Soca Music History" books. He originally experimented with a mixture of Indian music and Calypso rhythms and eventually added a funky style to his music. He removed the Indian instruments but retained the accent of the instruments on the drum set. That is the Soca beat that lives on to this day!
When the song (Calypso Music by JFD) was released, it was described as "Killer funky calypso from Trinidad." Later on after the death of Lord Shorty, just about everyone laid claim to the music genre. Eddie Grant claimed to have created the genre, while King Wellington proposed that his 'Russo Funk' was the origin of Soca; additionally, Ellsworth James briefly mentioned that Lord Shorty heard and loved a chance encounter with JFD in the studio, which inspired him to develop his Soca beat. The story keeps turning indeed.
Here is a short commentary on the song by Socapro; he is a DJ/radio presenter originally from Trinidad but now based in the UK:
The above track, performed by the now-defunct Trinidadian group JFD and featuring Elsworth James on lead vocals, is a remake of the famous 1972 Zap Pow reggae release titled "This Is Reggae Music," which has been removed from this post.
JFD recorded this trendy Calypso version in Trinidad in 1973, while Perez arranged the music and chorus. Elsworth James has cited it as one of the tracks that inspired Lord Shorty in his journey to introduce Soca.
In response, I believe it can be argued that the track "Calypso Music" mentioned above may have inspired Shorty in developing his 1974 Soca vibe, "Endless Vibrations," and consequently the Soca music genre as a whole. However, it is important to remember that Shorty recorded the tracks "Soul Calypso Music" and "I Who Have Nothing" in 1972, a year before the JFD track "Calypso Music," which features Elsworth James. Both of Shorty's tracks also had a similar Soca vibe to the JFD track and can be considered inspirational experimental works for Shorty on his journey to introducing Soca.
Production Notes:
Title: Calypso Music
Label: JFD
Performed by: Just Fab Deltones with Ellsworth James (vocals)
Produced by:
Island Funk 45 Just Fab Deltones - Calypso Music HEAR! Island Funk 45 Just Fab Deltones - Calypso Music HEAR!
Elsworth James & Just Fab Deltones
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OK, here is the original track by Zappow; I remember that this song was very popular on the radio stations back home when it was released... enjoy the vibe!
