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Forty Years of Calypso 

1 

 

“When he 

heard the 

tape, he said, 

‘Boy, these 

songs good.’ 

He took me to 

a Syl Taylor 

who was the 

leader of the 

'Sparrow's' 

Young Brigade 

Tent.  

 

 

Forty Years of Calypso Through the Eyes of Winsford Devine

The Beginnings

He was born in 1943, in Morne Diablo in South Trinidad, though he was recently quoted as writing the following on his Facebook page –

"We have some distinguished people who are of Grenadian birthright, like the Honourable Karl Hudson-Phillip, Mr. Austin Lyons (Super Blue), Ms Ella Andal, Mr Emerald Phillip and this writer (i.e. Winsford Devine). If I am to be called distinguished with this in mind, I wonder if a ''trinbagonian'' can be a winner in ''grenada'' likewise".1

Whether this is true or not, is inconsequential. It bears no relevance to accomplishments of this fine artist. Many persons debate the sources or causes of the evolution of calypso to its current form. Devine has lived it.

Winsford Devine started his musical career as a pannist, and it was this that brought from the culturally rich village of Morne Diablo to Port of Spain where a friend introduced him to the now-defunct Blue

                                                              1 http://www.trinizagada.com/2013_02_01_archive.html 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forty Years of Calypso 

2 

Diamonds Steelband. As a boy, he had heard about Sparrow and even sang some of his songs at village events, but it was while playing pan that he developed a feeling for calypso. He started writing and singing his calypsos, and when he presented these songs to his friend, his friend got him a tape recorder and told him to record everything he wrote.

He recorded about fifty songs, which included the Drunkard Calypso, and presented these to his friend. In an interview with Trinisoca.com, Devine says –

“When he heard the tape, he said, ‘Boy, these songs good.’ He took me to a Syl Taylor who was the leader of the 'Sparrow's' Young Brigade Tent. They used to hang out in a club on Charlotte Street. All the Calypsonians used to hang out in that club drinking and playing billiards whole day. He took me to the club to meet Syl Taylor and he played the tape. Syl Taylor bought the whole tape and he gave me three hundred and sixty dollars for it.”2

This single event was the start of a long, sometimes painful career as a composer/ songwriter for Devine. The first songs went to Blakie; “Road March Recipe” and “Simple Calypso”, that latter of which was runner up to Road March the following year. Two songs from that first batch also went to Sparrow; “Queen of the Bands” and “Drunkard Calypso”, which became the Road March and an enduring hit for Sparrow under the new name “Drunk and Disorderly”.

The Making of a King

Says Devine –

“I got to know Sparrow when he started to sing those two songs. The same ‘Drunk and Disorderly’ song was called ‘Drunkard Calypso’. I never got any credit for that song. Sparrow put his name on that song as his own. I never claimed credit for that ‘Drunkard Calypso’. One night a partner of mine came to me and said, ‘Sparrow singing one of your songs boy. Leh we go down by Sparrow and listen.’ I went down by the Young Brigade and I met Sparrow. Sparrow asked me if I was the man who wrote those songs and I told him yes. He said, ‘Hear what happen. Come down by me tomorrow. Let your partner bring you down by me.’ I went down and we spent half the day with Sparrow and we talked. Sparrow said, ‘You would start to write songs for me?’ That day I got the largest amount money I ever got in my life. Sparrow gave me twenty-eight hundred dollars. I was an old country bookie who didn't know anything. After that, I wrote for Sparrow for seventeen years...”2

                                                              2 http://www.trinisoca.com/devine 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forty Years of Calypso 

3 

Slinger Franscisco, the Mighty Sparrow, was born in Grand Roy, Grenada, in 1935 but moved to Trinidad when as a toddler. He grew up in Port of Spain where he attended Newton Boys RC School and sang in thire choir. He also played pan with a small steelband at Carnival time when he was a teenager. He received his performing name 'Little Sparrow' during his early career, as a result of his energetic stage performances. Says Sparrow –

“Your calypso name is given to you by your peers, based on your style. In the old days they tried to emulate British royalty. There was Lord Kitchener, Lord Nelson, Duke. When I started singing, the bands were still using acoustic instruments and the singers would stand flat footed, making a point or accusing someone in the crowd with the pointing of a finger, but mostly they stood motionless. When I sing, I get excited and move around, much like James Brown, and this was new to them. The older singers said "Why don't you just sing instead of moving around like a little Sparrow." It was said as a joke, but the name stuck.’3

His first performance as a calypsonian was in 1954, "The Parrot and the Monkey", and in 1956, Sparrow won is first Road March and Calypso King titles with "Jean and Dinah", after which he boycotted the Calypso monarch competition for three years because of the comparatively patlry prixe money. Sparrow went on to have local hits in 1956 and 1957 with singles such as "Jack Palace", "No Doctor No", and "Sailor Man" In 1957, Sparrow recorded his first album, Calypso Carnival 58, released the following year on the Balisier label, and which yielded the Road March, "P.A.Y.E.". In 1959, he toured extensively, and ventured to the United States hoping to achieve the popularity the Kitchener had attained in England. When this did not pan out as expected, he went to England in 1960 and continued his career there.

In 1960 Sparrow returned to the Calypso Monarch competition, winning his second Calpyso King title and third Road March title with "Ten to One Is Murder" and "Mae Mae". He also began recording for his own label, National Recording. He won the Road March title again in 1961 with "Royal Jail", his third Calypso King title in 1962 with "Model Nation" and "Sparrow Come Back Home", and again in 1963 with "Dan Is the Man" and "Kennedy". In 1966 and 1969, he won Road March with “Melda” and “Sa Sa Yea” respectively. He also began to release his music to the United Kingdom.

It is at this point in their careers that Sparrow and Winsford Devine would cross paths. Devine’s “Queen of the Bands” was released on Sparrow’s 1970 “Calypso Time” album with reasonable popularity, but it was in 1972 that the Mighty Sparrow won the double-title again with that song “Drunkard Calypso” sold to him by Syl Taylor and renamed “Drunk and Disorderly”. It endures as an all-time classic today.

                                                              3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mighty_Sparrow 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forty Years of Calypso 

4 

The Star Maker

Devine wrote for Sparrow for seventeen years. The partnership produced hits such as “Rope”, “Capitalism Gone Mad”, “Phillip My Dear”, “Saltfish”, “Marajhin”, “Survival”, “Miss Mary”, “We Pass That Stage”, “I Diggin' Horrors”, “Wine Back”, “Sailing”, “We Pass that Stage” and “London Bridge”. By the end of this partnership, Sparrow had earned the title Calypso King of the World. Devine, however, was still largely unrecognized by the general populace.

One year, Sparrow rejected the songs he had written for him, so Devine took the songs to Singing Francine whom he contacted through a friend. Francine took the songs and recorded them. The results were instant hits for her; "St. Peter Say" and "Love is the Answer". Francine was the first person to credit him by name on her records. This started the rift that culminated in the eventual breakup of the lucrative partnership between the super performer and the super songwriter. Sparrow perceived that he paid Devine to write exclusively for him, or for whom he directed, but was not giving him public credit for it. After Francine made his talent public he became the most sought after composer in the calypso arena. The word around town was “Go to Blue Diamonds and ask for Joker”, as he was known on the streets.

Another calypsonian for whom Devine wrote was Baron. It was Sparrow who told him to write for Baron because he started to write young tunes that Sparrow did not feel comfortable with. He gave Baron “Somebody”, “Feeling It”, “Jammer”, “Love and Cherish the Woman” and “Melosian Rhapsody”, however, Devine says of Baron –

“Unfortunately his biggest hit wasn't written by me. It was a song called "Sweet Soca Man" written by Errol Ince. Errol had that song and he was always begging Baron to sing it for him. Eventually one year Baron took it and it became a hit. At first he didn't think much of it at all. The record he had made was properly arranged and so on. I would say that was the biggest song Baron ever recorded.”4

By 1980, it is said that Devines averaged forty songs a season and in 1980, he created what is known today as the ‘Calpyso of the Millenium’, “The Price of Progress” performed by King Austin. Devine states that he got the idea for those profoundly, haunting lyrics one day when he was headed to Morne Diablo to visit family. He observed what had become of the San Fernando Hill and was deeply affected.

Other stars that were created by the magic of Devine’s pen and musical artistry were Crazy, for whom he wrote - “Paul (Yuh Mudder Come)”, “Take A Man”, “Crazy for Prime Minister”, “Leaders”, “We Badder Than Dem”, and “Limbo”, and Mighty Trini, for whom

                                                              4http://www.trinisoca.com/devine 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forty Years of Calypso 

5 

he wrote – “West Indian Cricket”,”Soca Your Woman” and “National Pride”. He also wrote for Poser, Lord Blakie, Sugar Aloes, Shorty, and Machel Montano’s “Too Young to Soca”. Devine’s talents were not limited to calypso. He also wrote and arranged for pan, and producd the test piece, "Fire and Steel," for one of the Steelband Music Festivals.

The Future of Calypso

In the book “The Progress of Winsford Devine”, Nandi Ogunlade states - "Devine embraces a noble tradition as calypso is part of a rich cultural tapestry that evolved from the memories of enslaved Africans. As a soca composer -distinguishable from calypso by its crammed beats per minute and eclectic blends with eastern, soul, reggae, rap, pop, jazz and other musical forms- he has spearheaded a musical evolution with mellifluous melodies for voice, brass and steel instrumentation….. The 600 strong catalogue are timeless gems that have influenced cultural movements, shaped political thought and fueled his nation's propensity for bacchanal."

Windford Devine has grown with Calypso and participated in the delivery of its child, Soca, from the 1970 Sparrow hit, “Queen of the Bands”, to the 2007 Crazy hit, “The Cock Can’t Stand Up”. In 2013, he is writing still, 600 gems in forty years. He knows the artform intimately and he learned from the best – rhyme from Kitchener, musicianship from Joey Lewis, scoring and arranging brass from Art de Coteau and Ed Watson and the keyboards from the late Clive Bradley. However, he has this to say about its direction -

“I don’t like the music playing today: the soca too noisy, the music watered down. Time changes and so do men, so it makes no sense for me to criticise them. I admire Machel and them though, ‘cause they have gotten the music out there for people to listen to. Calypso went out there and came back home, thanks to Harry Belafonte. I remember in 1973 I went to a club in Manhattan and the jukebox was only filled with Sparrow songs.”5

                                                              5 http://www.islandmix.com/backchat/f16/i‐can‐t‐stop‐writing‐winsford‐devine‐has‐written‐over‐500‐calypsoes‐187848/