The country prepares to celebrate National Calypso Day on Sunday. The day commemorates and recognizes the genre of music as Costa Rican intangible cultural heritage. It also honors the musician Walter Ferguson Bayfield, nicknamed the King of Calypso.

Ferguson was born in the town of Guabito in Panama on May 7, 1919. He became a Costa Rican citizen and ever since his childhood, he lived in Cahuita District, Limón Province.   The King of Calypso died on February, 25.

In 2018, Ferguson was awarded the Emilia Prieto National Cultural Heritage Award for his lifetime career. That same year, Congress passed a law to declare him a distinguished citizen and to observe the National Day of Costa Rican Calypso every May 7.

In 2017, the National University made a documentary about the life and music of Ferguson. The video can be seen on the University's YouTube channel.

Ferguson was considered the greatest exponent of calypso in the country. “One Pant Man,” “Callalloo,” “Monilia,” “Cabin in the Wata,” “Cahuita is a Beautiful Place,” “Rumba en Cahuita” and “G-O-O-D,” are just some of his best-known calypso songs. According to the Ministry of Culture, Ferguson composed more than 150 calypso songs in his lifetime.

In February, the unanimous vote of the congressmen approved file No. 23,272, titled "Declaration of Honorary Citizenship for Marcelle Taylor Brown and Walter Gavitt Ferguson Byfield," both citizens of Limón City in Limón Province.

This year the Calypso Festival will take place on Saturday at the Eugene O'Neill Theater in Dent District, San José. The show presents the Queen of the Sea Calypso Concert, featuring singer Stephie Davis and the Cantoamerica Band. The concert starts at 7 p.m. Tickets $13 pp are available at the theater box office.

Calypso music is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 20th century. It was initially a form of folk music, sung in the French Creole language, and accompanied by acoustic guitar and other percussion instruments.

The music became popular in the Caribbean and eventually spread to other parts of the world, particularly North America. It gained global attention in the 1950s and 1960s with the rise of artists like Harry Belafonte, who helped popularize the genre with his hit songs like "Day-O" (The Banana Boat Song) and "Jamaica Farewell."

Calypso is known for its upbeat rhythms, catchy melodies, and often humorous lyrics that address social and political issues, as well as everyday life experiences. It has influenced many other genres of music, including ska, reggae, and soca.

Today, calypso music remains an important part of the cultural heritage of the Caribbean, with many artists and musicians continuing to perform and celebrate the genre.

 

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