Learning objective
To understand the main features of Calypso music.
Success criteria
- I can discuss the origins of the Calypso tradition.
- I can name the key features of Calypso music.
- I can perform a Calypso song.
National curriculum
Music
Pupils should be taught to:
- Play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices (and playing musical instruments) with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression.
- Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory.
- Appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians.
- Develop an understanding of the history of music.
Cross-curricular links
British values
- Cultural development.
See Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools (non-statutory advice) – contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0.
Before the lesson
Check all images, videos, links and presentation slides are suitable for your class.
- Presentation: What is Calypso? (see Main event)
- Link: Assessment: Music KS2: Instrumental: Caribbean (optional – see Attention grabber).
- Link: 'Calypso Rose - Queen of Calypso' on VideoLink*.
- Link: London is the place for me on VideoLink*.
* These are external websites and we do not have control over their content – please check before showing them to the children.
Print in advance of the lesson.
The Knowledge organiser provides a visual summary of the key facts and vocabulary for the unit. The children can use it throughout the unit to check keyword meanings or spellings and to help them remember important information when completing an activity. Find further ideas for using the Knowledge organiser to support adaptive teaching here.
Subject knowledge
Watch the Teacher video: What is Calypso? before the lesson if desired.
If you know a child has specific issues, consider discussing the lesson with them in advance and adapting it as needed. They might benefit from adult support. If problems emerge during the lesson, consult your Senior Leadership Team. It is the teacher’s responsibility to check all resources and lesson content to ensure it is suitable for their class setting.
Sensitivities
Before teaching this unit you may wish to find out if any of the children have family or cultural connections with the Caribbean.
- When discussing cultural connections, it is important to be aware that some pupils may feel proud to share their heritage, while others may prefer not to disclose personal or family backgrounds.
- Avoid making assumptions based on appearance or name, and frame questions in an open, inclusive way.
- This discussion should celebrate the diversity within the classroom and deepen understanding of the Caribbean’s cultural richness, especially in relation to musical styles like Calypso.
Lesson plan
1: Recap and recall
Before starting this unit, you might want to check that children can recall:
- Vocabulary used to describe music, such as rhythm and pitch.
- Vocabulary used to describe musical symbols such as notes, quavers and crochets.
- That music from different times and different parts of the world have different features.
2: Attention grabber
Optional: provide each child with a copy of the Knowledge catcher (see link: Assessment – Music KS2: Instrumental: Calypso) and ask them to complete it to the best of their ability. Explain that at the end of the unit, they will revisit it, adding more information in a different colour.
Play the link: 'Calypso Rose - Queen of Calypso' on VideoLink. Talk to the children about what they saw and heard.
Ask the children:
- What is the song about? (Being the best calypso singer ‘the queen of Calypso’)
- How does the music make you feel?
- Why does it make you feel that way?
- Where in the world do you think the song is from? (Trinidad in the Caribbean)
- What kind of music is this? (Calypso)
3: Main event
Explain that Calypso music originated in Trinidad. It was influenced by the music of the West African enslaved people who were trafficked to the Caribbean. In this unit, we are going to find out more about Calypso music, and learn to sing, play, and improvise in a Calypso style!
Display the Presentation: What is Calypso?
Presentation: What is Calypso?
History of Calypso
Display slides 1 and 2 of the Presentation: What is Calypso? and use the slides to talk about the historical origins and spread of this musical tradition.
Display slide 3 and explain that the 1920s and 1930s are known as a ‘golden age’ for Calypso music, which is when the first recordings were produced.
Questions
- What would your Calypso name be?
- Do you have family connections with the Caribbean? (Take care when asking this question – see Teacher knowledge.)
- Why is race important to Calypsonians? (It expresses Afro-Caribbean identity and resistance.)
- Would you listen to the news if it was set to funky music?
Features of Calypso
Display slide 4 and play the song London is the place for me on VideoLink, which is an example of Calypso music.
Ask the children:
- Do you recognise this song? (The children may recognise it from Paddington the Movie – though this is not where the song originated!)
- What do you notice about this style of music? (Encourage children to consider the rhythms, structure, etc.)
Display slide 5 which lists some features of Calypso:
- 4/4 time.
- Syncopated rhythms.
- Verse and chorus structure.
- Simple harmonies.
- Improvisation.
We will learn more about these different musical features in each lesson of our unit.
4: Wrapping up
Display slide 6 of the Presentation: What is Calypso?
Presentation: What is Calypso?
Explain that this shows the vocal part for a Calypso-style song we will be learning throughout this unit – ‘What’s the Story?’. Play the audio (on the slide) and follow along with the lyrics displayed on the presentation to familiarise the children with the song (See the Teacher video: What is Calypso).
Ask the following questions:
What time signature is Calypso music usually in? (4/4 – this is shown on the score.)
What type of rhythms would we hear in Calypso music? (Syncopated rhythms.)
What topics do Calypso songs usually cover? (The news – the lyrics of this song are all about the news.)
Can you name some famous Calypso musicians? (Calypso Rose, Lord Invader, Growling Tiger, Mighty Terror.)
Where does Calypso music come from? (Trinidad in the Caribbean)
What music did Calypso music develop out of? (Kaiso – the music of West African enslaved people.)
Extended-mode explainer videos
How to extend your display to view the lesson page and preseantion mode simultaneously. Choose your operating system below to watch the video
If you need further support with extending your display,
please contact [email protected].
Extended-mode explainer video: For Mac
Extended-mode explainer video: For Windows
Adaptive teaching
Pupils needing extra support
Pair these pupils with a more confident talk partner for the questions. Place them nearer more confident singers for the singing.
Pupils working at greater depth
Can be encouraged to justify their answers with more depth. Could ‘conduct’ the singing, showing everyone else when to start and stop.
Assessing progress and understanding
Pupils with secure understanding indicated by: ability to name some of the key features of Calypso music. Ability to sing along with the song by the end of the lesson.
Pupils working at greater depth indicated by: ability to justify their answers with greater depth. Ability to sing the song accurately by the end of the lesson.
Vocabulary definitions
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Calypso
A fun, lively style of music from the Caribbean, especially Trinidad and Tobago, that uses singing, rhythm, and clever words to tell stories or share news.
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Calypsonian
A singer or musician who performs calypso music.
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improvisation
When a musician makes up music on the spot, instead of playing something that is already written down.
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harmony
When two or more musical notes are played or sung at the same time and sound nice together.
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Kaiso
A traditional style of music from Trinidad and Tobago that helped shape Calypso music; it often includes storytelling, clever lyrics, and lively, syncopated rhythms.
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syncopated rhythms
Where the beats or notes fall in unexpected places, often off the main beat, making the music sound jumpy, jazzy, or surprising.
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trafficked
Being moved or taken from one place to another, often secretly or illegally, usually for harmful or unfair reasons.
Maintained by: Kapow Primary team
Last update: 9th May, 2025
