Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz
Go Calypsonian
Pranha (dist. !K7)
CD-PIR2752

Like roots reggae music, calypso long ago faded in popularity in its Caribbean home and eventually found a new one in Berlin. That’s where you’ll find the seventeen-member Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz playing in bars and dance halls, singing original and vintage calypso songs in both English and, um, Russian (their bass player is a Russian who brought with him a wonderful Soviet-era cartoon song). Their sound is very traditional, but the political and social topics are as up-to-date as modern calypso songs should be. Lord Mouse’s voice is rich and chesty, and his singing style is suitably bold and brash.