Shows
continental drift pt. 9: west indies
Welcome to continental drift! Today we are taking a tour of the West Indies. Also known as the Caribbean (though this may refer to a slightly different set of countries), the West Indies comprises 13 independent countries and 18 dependencies on 3 major archipelagos: the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Lucayan archipelago. The Greater Antilles include Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. The Lesser Antilles include the Virigin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, etc., and the Lucayan archipelago includes the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Listen to the playlist here, and listen back to the episode here.
Geologically, the Greater Antilles is the oldest of the three archipelagos, containing strata from the precambrian remains of the North American plate, limestone from the jurassic age, and oceanic crust from the cretaceous age. The Lesser Antilles is a volcanic island arc that is from the subduction of the North American and South American plates.
The Calypso style is one of the most recognized traditional music in Trinidad and Tobago, San Andrés, and Providencia Islands. It originated from the West African Kaiso and Canboulay styles brought by enslaved africans to the region. Calypso was used to mock slave masters and as a form of communication. The earliest forms of these songs were sung in french creole by a griot; the role of the griot became known as a chantuelle, and then eventually a calypsonian.
Calypso’s lyrics have a significant social and political relevancy. The songs of calypso use satire, mockery, and double meaning as an essential part of their narrative. At many points in history, especially in the 30s, calypso has been used as a way to spread news around the island, and many people took the songs as a reliable news source.
The most recognizable calypso song to an American audience is probably “Banana Boat Song (Deyo)” by Harry Belafonte, though he is not Dominican.
“Jean & Dinah,” featured on this episode, is about widespread prostitution as well as prostitute’s desperation after the US closed its naval base on Trinidad. It opens with the line, “well the girls in town feeling bad, no more yankees in Trinidad.”
Wilmoth Houdini
Calypso segment:
Jean & Dinah // Mighty Sparrow
Bobby Sex Idol (Frank Sinatra) // Wilmouth Houdini
Don’t Touch Me Tomato // Calypso Mama, Lad Richards Calypso Orchestra
Zouk was a form of music created in the early 80s, notably from the french islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Its name comes from “mazouk,” which refers to a polish musical style “mazurka” brought during European colonization. Because it is associated with the french Antilles, it is popular with other francophone countries such as French Guiana, etc. Zouk is known for its fast tempo, driving percussion, and prominent horns.
Zouk Machine
Zouk segment:
Maldòn // Zouk Machine
Lajen an moin an // Kassav’
Reggae is probably the most popular music style to come from the West Indies. It emerged in the 1960s from Jamaica. It is closely related to both calypso and ska, and some believe it comes from a slowed ska. Musically, reggae features a counterpoint between the bass and drum downbeat and an offbeat rhythm section.
Reggae:
Just My Imagination // The Charmers, Dave Barker
Psychedelic Reggae // Winston Wright, Tommy McCook & The Supersonics
Dread Natty Congo // Sister Carol
Raggamuffin // Koffee
Next stop is the Dominican Republic to explore Bachata and Merengue.
Bachata is a fusion of Spanish guitar music and Sub Saharan african styles. Despite being created in the 60s, the genre took a while to rise in popularity due to cultural biases associating it with lower-class Dominicans.
The typical bachata group has five parts: lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, bongos, and guira, which is a metal sheet played with stiff brush. The rhythm guitar adds syncopation.
Merengue is a closely related genre, also Dominican, that is performed with an accordion, guira, and tambora (two headed drum).
Bachata/meregnue segment:
Borracho de Amor (first bachata song) // Jose Manuel Calderon
La Chiflera // Fefita La Grande
For our last stop on our tour, we are headed to the Virgin Islands to hear Quelbe. This music style combines African and english styles, blending many instruments. A Quelbe band, called a “scratch band” could contain ukulele, banjo, bongos, guitar, keyboard, guiro, sax, etc. It is made for dancing!
Quelbe segment:
Lagoon Mouth // Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights
Caroline // Blinky & The Roadmasters
Thanks for tuning in! Next week will be Halloween around the world… don’t miss out!
velvet 10-26-22
sweets and sugar – happy halloween!
there’s a new day coming / menahan street baand, saundra williams
kakashi (all of the time) / vicky farewell
sugar rush / julia cooper
stuck on you / michelle
tangerine dream / maya delilah
candy lies / jenevieve
sweet love / augustine
cherry blossom / kyle dion
sugar and spice (i found me a girl) / luther vandross
still / dominic pierce, felivand
pb jam / tkay maidza
sweet / habe, chris mazuera
pure imagination / kathleen
lemondrops / telana
baby pillz / dizzy fae
short and sweet / brittany howard
spotify playlist here~
Crush #198 – upbeat and fun :3
this week we tried to pick shoegaze/dreampop/noisepop songs that were a little more upbeat and fun!! crush #200 is just around the corner, stay tuned because we have a few surprises in store 😀
tracklist for tonite: **spotify playlist here**
cascade – siouxsie and the banshees (not quite dreampop, but the direct precursor to dreampop)
kmart amen break – they are gutting a body of water
air guitar – sobs
off your face – my bloody valentine
the pink – medicine
gravity – the high violets
peppermint pig – cocteau twins
kiss chase – lush
wrong tube – swirlies
sugarfix – tamaryn
pretend to be here – pia fraus
your imagination – all natural lemon and lime flavors
take care – beach house
girl rock! 10/25/22- final punktober
girl rock!’s hit crew is back with the final installment of 2022’s punktober. Playlist here, picks below:
Typical Girls // The Slits
Shove // L7
Missed It // Lunachicks
Staple gun // Baby Guts
Watch Your Back // Melanie and the Secret Army
Lethal Lolita // Red Aunts
90210 // The Courtneys
You Can’t Change Me // Fea
Sugar Town // ShitKid
CUTIE IN THE MOSH PIT // Kuromy
Eat Them // Lady Pills
Slumber Party // Rain on Fridays
You’re Standing on My Neck // Honeyblood
Blah Blah Blah // The Oozes
I Hate Being in Love // Amy and the Angels
Bet My Blood // Pretty Sick
They/Them // Dream Nails
Preachers // Petrol Girls
Gold Soundz 10.25.22: Halloween Episode
OoooOOOOooo thanks for tuning in to this spooky episode of Gold Soundz and celebrating the hosts’ favorite holiday: Halloween!
The Joke of the Week is (It’s a double joke week!!!)
Who’s there?
Howl!
Howl who?
Howl you know unless you open the door!
What do you call two witches who are roommates?
Broomates!
Here is the playlist for the show:
Pa Pa Power // Dead Man’s Bones
They Are Night Zombies!! They are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!!! Ahhhh! //Sufjan Stevens
Ghosting // Mother Mother
Mystery Girl // Alexandra Savior
Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But… // Arctic Monkeys
Girls With One Eye // Florence + The Machine
Mysterons // Portishead
Only Acting // Kero Kero Bonito
Ghost // Indigo De Souza
Witchcraft // Graveyard Club
Omens // Lola Kirke
I Put A Spell On You // Sylvia Black
Seven Devils // Florence + The Machine
Come back next week for more indie rock and hipster pop here at WREK!
