Lesson 1: What is calypso?
Discovering the origins and some of the key features of calypso music before performing a calypso style song.
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Learning objective
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To understand the main features of calypso music.
Success criteria
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I can discuss the origins of the calypso tradition.
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I can name the key features of calypso music.
I can perform a calypso song.
Before the lesson
Check all images, videos, links and presentation slides are suitable for your class.
- Presentation: What is calypso?
- Link: Assessment: Music KS2: Instrumental: Caribbean (optional - see Attention grabber).
Link: 'Calypso Rose' by Calypso Queen on VideoLink*.
Link: 'London Is the Place For Me' by Lord Kitchener on VideoLink*.
* These are external websites and we do not have control over their content – please check before showing them to the children.
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.
Teacher knowledge
Reading music: 'What's the news?'
This song is in 4/4 time, which means there are four beats in each bar. The small black box on the middle line of the stave is a minim rest, and it lasts for two beats.
Sensitivities
Before teaching this unit, consider whether any children have family or cultural connections with the Caribbean.
When discussing cultural connections, be mindful that some pupils may feel proud to share their heritage, while others may prefer not to talk about personal or family backgrounds.
Avoid making assumptions based on appearance or names. Frame questions in an open and inclusive way.
Use the discussion to celebrate the diversity within the classroom and to build understanding of the Caribbean’s cultural richness, especially in relation to musical styles like calypso.
Lesson plan
Before starting this unit, check that the 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.
Music from different times and parts of the world has different features.
Optional: provide each child with a copy of the Knowledge catcher (see link: Assessment: Music KS2: Instrumental: Caribbean) 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' by Calypso Queen on VideoLink. Talk to the children about what they saw and heard.
Ask them:
- What is the song about? (Being the best calypso singer and 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.)
Explain to the children that calypso music originated in Trinidad and was influenced by the music of the West African enslaved people trafficked to the Caribbean. Inform them that they will learn more about calypso music and learn to sing, play and improvise in a calypso style!
Display slides 1 and 2 of the Presentation: What is calypso? Discuss the historical origins and spread of this musical tradition.
Share examples of calipso names and ask the children what their calipso names would be. Allow time for paired discussion and take feedback.
Show slide 3 and explain that the 1920s and 1930s are known as a golden age for calypso music, when the first recordings were produced. Ask the children if they would listen to the news if it were set to funky music.
Proceed to slide 4 and play the song 'London Is the Place For Me' by Lord Kitchener, 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 them to consider the rhythms, structure, etc.)
- Do you have family connections with the Caribbean? (Exercise caution when asking this question, see Cautions.)
- Why is race important to calypsonians? (It expresses Afro-Caribbean identity and resistance.)
Show slide 5, which lists some features of calypso. Explain that the children will learn more about these different musical features in each unit lesson.
Display slide 6 of the Presentation: What is calypso?
Explain that it shows the vocal part for a calypso-style song (called 'What’s the Story?') that the children will learn throughout this unit. Click to play the guide track audio 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 children:
- What time signature is calypso music usually in? (4/4, 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 develop out of? (Kaiso - the music of West African enslaved people.)
Full-screen slides, ready for your classroom, chosen by you.
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To understand the main features of calypso music.
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Dr Elizabeth Stafford is Director at Music Education Solutions®.
Elizabeth Stafford is one of the UK’s foremost experts in music education, widely recognised for her leadership, research, and influence across the sector. As Director of Music Education Solutions, she has worked with schools, music hubs, trusts, arts organisations, and education providers nationally and internationally to improve the quality and impact of music teaching. With almost 30 years’ experience spanning classroom teaching, higher education, consultancy, and national programme leadership, she is known for combining academic expertise with practical, accessible approaches that support teachers and transform provision. She is author of The Primary Music Leader’s Handbook (HarperCollins) and Secondary Music Leader’s Handbook (HarperCollins), editor of Primary Music Magazine, and Music Hubs and Services Magazine, and presenter of the Primary Music in Conversation podcast. Formerly part of the leadership team for the government’s KS2 Music CPD Programme (2008-2011), Liz is a sought-after speaker, trainer, and advisor whose work continues to shape music education policy and practice across the UK and beyond.
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