Calypso
- Calypso comes from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean, and is sung at carnival.
- Its lyrics are witty and topical: they comment on news, politics and everyday life, often with humour. Singers are called calypsonians.
- It is in a bright major key with a 4/4 beat, lots of syncopation and simple chords. Call and response is common.
- Steel pans (tuned drums first made from oil drums in the 1930s and 1940s) are linked with Trinidad. A steel band has pans of different sizes, from high tenor pans to low bass pans. Soca (soul calypso) is a faster, modern version.
Samba
- Samba comes from Brazil and is the music of carnival in Rio de Janeiro. A batucada is a samba band made only of percussion.
- Instruments: surdo (big bass drums keeping the pulse), caixa (snare), repinique (the lead drum), tamborim (small high drum), agogô (two bells) and chocalho (shaker).
- The leader (the mestre) uses an apito (a whistle) and the repinique to signal breaks, when the band stops or plays a new pattern, and call and response passages.
- Samba is in 2/4, with layered ostinatos, syncopation and a build-up of energy. It is often loud and fast.
Telling them apart
- Calypso: Caribbean, sung, with melody instruments such as steel pans or guitars, and funny or topical words.
- Samba: South American, loud carnival percussion, led by a whistle, with breaks and layered drum patterns.
- Both are carnival music, both use syncopation and call and response, but they come from different places and sound different.
Key terms
- Calypso
- A sung Caribbean style from Trinidad with witty, topical lyrics.
- Steel pan
- A tuned drum from Trinidad, first made from an oil drum.
- Soca
- A faster, modern style that grew from calypso.
- Batucada
- A Brazilian samba percussion band.
- Surdo
- The large bass drum in samba.
- Repinique
- The lead drum in a samba band.
- Apito
- The whistle a samba leader uses to signal breaks.
- Break
- A moment when a samba band stops or plays a new pattern.
Quick questions on Rhythms of the World: Central and South America
- Where does calypso come from?
- Trinidad and Tobago: It is sung at carnival.
- What are calypso lyrics usually like?
- Witty and topical, commenting on news and everyday life: Singers are called calypsonians.
- What were the first steel pans made from?
- Oil drums: In the 1930s and 1940s.
- What is soca?
- A faster, modern style that grew from calypso: Soul calypso.
- What is a batucada?
- A Brazilian samba percussion band: It plays at carnival in Rio.
- Which samba instrument keeps the pulse with deep bass notes?
- Surdo: There are usually several surdos.
- Which instrument leads the samba band and signals breaks?
- Repinique, with the leader's apito whistle: The leader is called the mestre.
- What is a break in samba?
- A moment when the band stops or plays a new pattern: The leader signals it.
Practise Rhythms of the World: Central and South America: 10 questions