Ivan Chin And His Calypso Band – Man! It's Calypso

Ivan Chin And His Calypso Band – Man! It's Calypso

Take a musical journey to the Caribbean with Ivan Chin And His Calypso Band – Man! It's Calypso, a colourful collection of traditional calypso and island favourites originally released in 1967 on Saga Records. Packed with infectious rhythms, tropical melodies and classic Caribbean repertoire, the album captures the lively, sun-soaked atmosphere of vintage calypso and makes a wonderful addition to any collection of Caribbean music and vintage world records.

The name Ivan Chin carries an important place in the history of Jamaican popular music. Chin was a pioneering Jamaican record producer whose work helped document and promote some of the island's earliest recorded popular music. His name is particularly associated with Chin's Calypso Sextet, an influential Jamaican mento group whose recordings from the 1950s helped preserve the sound of rural Jamaican music during mento's golden age.

While often marketed internationally as calypso, much of the Jamaican music associated with Chin's recordings belongs to the closely related tradition of mento. Mento developed in Jamaica from a mixture of African and European musical traditions and shares many characteristics with Trinidadian calypso, although the two styles have distinct histories. The use of the word “calypso” was particularly common when Jamaican recordings were aimed at tourists and overseas listeners who were more familiar with the Trinidadian genre.

Man! It's Calypso features a wonderfully recognisable selection of Caribbean standards. “Yellow Bird” and “Island In The Sun” evoke the romanticised tropical imagery that became closely associated with Caribbean music during the post-war era, while “Brown Skin Gal,” “Big Bamboo” and “Matilda Matilda” bring the lively, rhythmic character of traditional island repertoire to the forefront.

The album also takes in songs celebrating Caribbean life and culture, including “Beautiful Barbados,” “Carnival” and “Kingston Market.” These tracks give the collection a strong sense of place, moving between laid-back island melodies and more exuberant dance-oriented performances.

For collectors of calypso vinyl, Jamaican mento, Caribbean music, vintage island records and traditional world music, Man! It's Calypso is an appealing snapshot of the way Caribbean music was presented to an international audience during the 1960s. Its mixture of familiar standards and regional favourites makes it an enjoyable record for both dedicated calypso collectors and anyone looking for an authentic vintage Caribbean atmosphere.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Satira Girl
2. Yellow Bird
3. Obeah Wedding
4. Brown Skin Gal
5. Sweet Mad'line
6. Island In The Sun

Side B

1. Beautiful Barbados
2. Big Bamboo
3. Carnival
4. Archie
5. Matilda Matilda
6. Kingston Market