Sly Mongoose (song)

Last updated

"Sly Mongoose" is a Trinidadian folk song and calypso which is widely recognized in the Caribbean.

Contents

Recordings

The song was recorded by Jamaican musician Sam Manning in the mid-1920s [1] and Lord Invader (of "Rum and Coca-Cola" fame) in 1946. [2] A different version with a similar name, "Slide Mongoose Slide" was recorded in the Bahamas in 1935, performed by the Nassau String Band. The songs are clearly related but the version recorded in the Bahamas has notable differences, not only are the lyrics different but also the singing style and melody, it is in the style of other Bahamian folk songs recorded in 1935, like Bimini Gal, Bellamina, and Abaco is a Pretty place. [3] Other Caribbean artists to record the song include The Gaylads, [4] Aston "Family Man" Barrett, [5] Ahadu & Light of Saba, [6] Beverley's Allstars, [7] Harry Belafonte, [8] Max Woiski Sr. (under the alternative song title "Ba-Anansie"), [9] Ernest Ranglin [10] and Monty Alexander. [11] Versions with varying lyrics have also been sung as calypsos. [12]

It has been performed and recorded by the German musician James Last [13] and his orchestra and by American jazz musicians including Charlie "Bird" Parker, [14] Louis Armstrong [15] and Benny Goodman. [16]

The Jamaican National Dance Theatre Company have performed it in a dance choreographed by Rex Nettleford.

See also

Related Research Articles

Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the early to mid-19th century and spread to the rest of the Caribbean Antilles and Venezuela by the mid-20th century. Its rhythms can be traced back to West African Kaiso and the arrival of French planters and their slaves from the French Antilles in the 18th century.

Harry Belafonte American singer, songwriter, activist, and actor

Harry Belafonte is a Jamaican-American singer, songwriter, activist, and actor. One of the most successful Jamaican-American pop stars in history, he was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Trinidadian Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. Belafonte is known for his recording of "The Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O". He has recorded and performed in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. He has also starred in several films, including Otto Preminger's hit musical Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), and Robert Wise's Odds Against Tomorrow (1959).

The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles.

Slinger Francisco ORTT CMT OBE, better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a Grenadian calypso vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World", he is one of the best-known and most successful calypsonians. He has won Trinidad's Carnival Road March competition eight times, Calypso King/Monarch eight times, and has twice won the Calypso King of Kings title.

Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It is a fusion of African rhythmic elements and European elements, which reached peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the shape of a box that can be sat on while played. The rhumba box carries the bass part of the music.

Ernest Ranglin Jamaican guitarist and composer

Ernest Ranglin is a Jamaican guitarist and composer who established his career while working as a session guitarist and music director for various Jamaican record labels including Studio One and Island Records. Ranglin played guitar on many early ska recordings and helped create the rhythmic guitar style that defined the form. Ranglin has worked with Theophilus Beckford, Jimmy Cliff, Monty Alexander, Prince Buster, the Skatalites, Bob Marley and the Eric Deans Orchestra. He is noted for a chordal and rhythmic approach that blends jazz, mento and reggae with percussive guitar solos incorporating rhythm 'n' blues and jazz inflections.

There are several subgenres of reggae music including various predecessors to the form.

Sly and Robbie Jamaican rhythm section and production duo

Sly and Robbie are a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians.

Monty Alexander Jamaican pianist

Montgomery Bernard "Monty" Alexander is a Jamaican jazz pianist. His playing has a Caribbean influence and bright swinging feeling, with a strong vocabulary of bebop jazz and blues rooted melodies. He was influenced by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, and Frank Sinatra. Alexander also sings and plays the melodica. He is known for his surprising musical twists, bright rhythmic sense, and intense dramatic musical climaxes. Monty's recording career has covered many of the well known American songbook standards, jazz standards, pop hits, and Jamaican songs from his original homeland. Alexander has resided in New York City for many years and performs frequently throughout the world at jazz festivals and clubs.

"Jamaica Farewell" is a Jamaican-style folk song (mento). The song appeared on Harry Belafonte's album Calypso. It reached number fourteen on the Billboard Pop chart. The lyrics for the song were written by Lord Burgess, an American-born, half-Barbadan songwriter. It is about the beauties of the West Indian Islands.

Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) traditional Jamaican folk song

"Day-O " is a traditional Jamaican folk song. The song has mento influences, but it is commonly classified as an example of the better known calypso music.

"Mary's Boy Child" is a 1956 Christmas song, written by Jester Hairston. It is widely performed as a Christmas carol.

<i>Calypso</i> (album) 1956 studio album by Harry Belafonte

Calypso is the third studio album by recording artist Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor (LPM-1248) in 1956. The album became his second consecutive number-one album on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, where it peaked for 31 weeks. Calypso was the first LP record album to sell over one million copies.

Leroy Sibbles Canadian musician

Leroy Sibbles is a Jamaican-Canadian reggae musician and producer. He was the lead singer for The Heptones in the 1960s and 1970s.

"Choucoune" is a 19th-century Haitian song composed by Michel Mauléart Monton with lyrics from a poem by Oswald Durand. It was rewritten with English lyrics in the 20th century as "Yellow Bird". Exotica musician Arthur Lyman made the song a hit in 1961.

<i>Dr. No</i> (soundtrack) 1963 film score by Monty Norman / John Barry

Dr. No is the original soundtrack for the first James Bond film of the same name.

"Jump in the Line " is a calypso song sung by Harry Belafonte and composed by Lord Kitchener.

"Jumbie Jamberee" is a calypso song credited to Conrad Eugene Mauge, Jr. In 1953 Lord Intruder released the song as the B-side to "Disaster With Police". The song is also known as "Zombie Jamboree" and "Back to Back". In the introduction to the Kingston Trio's version "Lord Invader and his Twelve Penetrators" are incorrectly credited with the song instead of Lord Intruder.

Irving Louis Burgie, sometimes known professionally as Lord Burgess, was an American musician and songwriter, regarded as one of the greatest composers of Caribbean music. He composed 34 songs for Harry Belafonte, including eight of the 11 songs on the Belafonte album Calypso (1956), the first album of any kind to sell one million copies. Burgie also wrote the lyrics of the National Anthem of Barbados. To date, songs penned by Irving Burgie have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

<i>Belafonte Concert in Japan</i> 1974 live album by Harry Belafonte

Belafonte Concert in Japan is a live album by Harry Belafonte, released in 1974. It is the only album by Belafonte that has been released in Quadrophonic. The album was Belafonte's final release for RCA Records, concluding a 21-year association with the label.

References

  1. ↑ "Sam Manning - Volume 1 - Recorded In New York, 1924-1927". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  2. ↑ Gibbs, Craig Martin (2015-04-30). Calypso and Other Music of Trinidad, 1912-1962: An Annotated Discography. McFarland. ISBN   9781476619316.
  3. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/deep-river-of-song-bahamas-1935-vol-2-ring-games-and-round-dances-mw0000220061
  4. ↑ "Lee Perry With The Skatalites / The Gaylads - Rape Bait / Sly Mongoose". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  5. ↑ "Various - Trojan Bob Marley & Friends Box Set". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  6. ↑ "Ahadu And Light Of Saba* - Hebi Down Ya". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  7. ↑ "Derrick Morgan - What's Your Grouse". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  8. ↑ "Harry Belafonte - Harry Belafonte". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  9. ↑ "Max Woiski En Zijn La Cubana-Orkest". 45worlds. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  10. ↑ "Ernest Ranglin - Jazz Jamaica". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  11. ↑ "Monty Alexander Featuring Ernest Ranglin - Rass!". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  12. ↑ Powell, Azizi (2014-07-29). "pancocojams: Lord Invader -"Sly Mongoose" (information, lyrics, & sound file)". pancocojams. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  13. ↑ "James Last - Copacabana Happy Dancing". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  14. ↑ "Charlie Parker - "Bird" Is Free". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  15. ↑ "Louis Armstrong and Edward R. Murrow With Leonard Bernstein - Satchmo The Great". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  16. ↑ "Benny Goodman - Here Is Benny Goodman AT His Rare Of All Rarest Performances Vol. 1". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.