Calypso Rose
The legendary heart and soul of the Caribbean
Having shared her enormous talent with audiences all over the world, Calypso Rose is the premier ambassador of Caribbean music. Rose began her illustrious career at the age of 15 in the village of Bethel on the beautiful Caribbean island of Tobago. As a woman in a male arena, she challenged the world with her music.
In 1966, Rose wrote the immortal Fire In Me Wire, a song which has become a Calypso anthem. It has been recorded in eight languages and is still the first Calypso to be sung for two consecutive years at the annual carnival competition in Trinidad and Tobago.
For five years Rose outclassed the competition to win the national “Calypso Queen” title in Trinidad and Tobago. During this time she kept knocking on the doors of the male dominated “Calypso King” competition. In 1978, those doors finally opened! With the powerful lyrics of I Thank Thee and Her Majesty, Rose was awarded the newly renamed “Calypso Monarch” title from a star studded field of the best competitors of the day. That year she also won the “Road March” title the previous year with Gimme More Tempo. To date, Calypso Rose still holds the distinction of being the only woman to win either title, placing her in a class by herself.
Included in her volumes of music are themes varied as the waves she created. She has composed such political commentaries as The Balance Wheel and Respect the Balisay; has got us jammin’ to such party songs and rhythms as Do Dem Back and The Action Is Tight; has raised our awareness of current conditions in Gun Play On The Parkway and Help; has taken a stand on women’s rights in No Madam; and has enamored us with songs such as You Can’t Buy Love.
Her personality, her charisma and her “joie de vivre” defines her as an exceptional woman and an exceptional human being. In the mold of Aretha Franklin, Cesaria Evora, Celia Cruz or Miriam Makeba, Calypso Rose is a spirited singer and a true people’s diva, singing blues, gospel, reggae, soul and of course calypso.
Calypso Rose is still expanding her horizons, as her 1994 album, Soca Diva, illustrates, the Mother of Calypso, Rose fuses the rhythms and melodies of Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean into a sweet and oh so spicy bouquet. Besides being a vibrant and exciting performer and composer, Rose’s world-wide recognition has made her one of the most awarded and honored figures of the Caribbean music scene.
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