Calypso Travels

One of three initial releases in the Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series, Calypso Travels features native Trinidadian Lord Invader (born Rupert Westmore Grant) in a New York studio session a year before his death in 1961 aged 47. Despite ailing health, the master calypsonian is captured with his charismatic style and distinctively pinched, grating voice in fine mettle, accompanied by an unidentified but superb band across the album's 13 tracks. True to the genre's form, Lord Invader opines on all manner of trending sexual, social and political behaviour in songs such as the track ‘As Long as it Born in my House’ (concerning mistaken paternity), ‘My Experience on the Rapper Band’ (concerning mistaken gender) and ‘Crisis in Arkansas’ (concerning unmistakable racism).

Perhaps best remembered for a highly publicised copyright case that he won against comedian Morey Amsterdam for plagiarising his composition, ‘Rum & Coca-Cola’, Lord Invader sparked popular interest in calypso across the US during the 1940s and 50s. Like all three of the Smithsonian's Vinyl Reissue Series debut releases, Calypso Travels was remastered from original tapes by Grammy-winning engineer Pete Reiniger. The result is a uniformly enhanced listening experience distinguished by an open soundstage, well-defined vocal and instrumental contouring and quiet ambience.