Virgin Islands: Quelbe & Calypso 1956-60

Following Caribbean classics compilations from Jamaica, Bermuda and Trinidad, one on the Virgin Islands musical history could present an intriguing project. Will quelbe, the archipelago’s indigenous popular style, protect its corner following the arrival, like elsewhere, of calypso? This selection makes clear, sadly, that this is not the case; the majority of the tracks here, sliding only slightly from mainstream calypso to even less appealing muzak, developed, presumably to appeal to the American holiday market. There is little to redeem the collection, save perhaps some renditions of local hits from able-voiced crooners like The Mighty Zebra, Lloyd Prince Thomas and Bill Fleming. Thomas and The Fabulous McClevertys, open both sides with their own takes on ‘Rookombay’. Both versions work adequately, with a dark narrative intensity and effective harmonies. Quelbe & Calypso does not, unfortunately, deliver much that is bracing or memorable.