Calimbo Steel Band

Artist: Calimbo Steel Band

LP: The Heart of Trinidad
Song: "Bedbug"
[ listen ]
Song: "Land of the Sea and Sun"
[ listen ]
Song: "When the Saints Go Marching In"
[ listen ]

Here's a record I first found at Golden Oldies in Seattle—inexplicably priced at $30. Still, I listened to it on the record player there and loved it, so I put it on hold until I could get approved for a short-term loan. In the meantime I made an afternoon road trip out to Snohomish, WA where I found the same Calimbo Steel Band record in great shape for just $3.50! If anyone would like to pay $30 for a copy, Golden Oldies still has one—or you can buy a copy online for $9 here. Chuck Wood (pictured below) handles lead vocals on "Land of the Sea and Sun" and several other LP tracks, but Bernardo Noriega sings lead only on "Bedbug," which has some of the best lyrics I've ever heard. The last track I've included seems to be a sort of all-band sing-a-long. Does anyone know why so many steel band records feature "When the Saints Go Marching In?" It's weird, right? If you ask me, Calimbo Steel Band's version is better than most of the others. I've included the LP liner notes below—it seems we have Texaco to thank for much of the music of Trinidad.

[ How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could... this guy? ]

A unique and appealing mixture of many cultures, Trinidad
is perhaps the most interesting and vibrant island in the
West Indies. Calypso was born here, as was the Steel band
and the Limbo. The Calimbo Steel band incorporates the best
of all three, featuring the outstanding talent of Trinidad. The
leader, Andre De Labastide, and Roland Harvey play the high-
pitched "Ping Pong" Steel drums; Carl "Gerald" Lawrence is
featured on "tenor booms"; Kenneth Lawrence on "alto" and
George Lancaster on "bass." Glenfield Leslie is heard on drums,
while Henry Pachot doubles on vocals and tumbas. Bernardo
Noriega doubles as a vocalist and with the maracas; the famous
Nanai is the guitarist. Chuck Wood is the vocal balladeer,
with Bonnie Casey providing vocal harmonies. Captured for
the first time in perfect high-fidelity recording, the Calimbo
Steel band brings you—"The Heart of Trinidad."
—GENE NORMAN

* * * * * * *

The Standard Oil Company, Texaco, and the rest of the
petroleum giants never realized it at the time, but they may
now claim credit for a new musical rage, which originated in
Trinidad during the war when the natives grew restless over
the scarcity of musical instruments. The islanders began
making music out of anything that was handy, and if
there was one thing the beaches offered in abundance,
it was oil drums. Empty ones, of course.

In due course, the Caribbean music-makers developed
instruments out of the steel drums that would yield several
different notes. Until recently, about 14 was the maximum.
Just enough to play most calypsos, rhumbas, sambas
and other basic Latin-American numbers.

Recently a topnotch steel band known as the Calimbos
(calypso, limbo, get it?), managed to spread its range
to 23 notes, considered a record among the islanders.
And the Calimbos boast that they can play
anything—even classical music.

The Calimbos just wound up six weeks at the El Mirador
in Palm Springs, Calif., where they jammed the South Pacific
Room night after night. Before coming to the United States,
they toured South America—Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile
and Peru—and worked their way north through Central
America and Mexico. Everywhere, they were a smash hit.
Naturally, the limbo dance—in which the dancer worms
his or her way under a constantly lowering crossbar
between two uprights—is most popular with crowds.

—ALONZO (BOB) CHILDERS, Entertainment Editor
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY DAILY TRIBUNE

[ Calimbo Steel Band ]