Since 2018, I have been putting together a series highlighting my favourite soca songs each year. (You can see them here & here). Even though there are officially no masquerade and fêtes in Trinidad & Tobago this year and soca songs usually revolve around the Carnival season, I was still planning to share a list. As soon as I re-read The Dragon Can’t Dance though, it dawned on me that it would be fun to switch things up by creating a calypso playlist inspired by the novel. Actually, the idea of curating playlists inspired by the books I read is one that I have been toying with for a while. The world of old school Carnival is so dazzling in The Dragon Can’t Dance that as I flipped through the pages, I could hear the vintage calypsos bouncing off of them. In this post, I’m sharing a few of the songs that the novel brought to mind. Check them out below, then hop over to Spotify to listen. (Unfortunately, I didn’t find most of the songs by the female calypsonians on Spotify).

An Old School Calypso Playlist Inspired by The Dragon Can’t Dance

* ‘67 - Lord Kitchener

*Royal Jail - Mighty Sparrow

*Steelband Clash - Lord Blakie

* Old Time Calypsoes - Lord Melody

* Mas /1965 - Lord Melody

*Mr. Walker- Mighty Sparrow

* Country Girl - Lord Melody

*Adeline - Lord Pretender

* A Man Is A Man - Calypso Rose

* Rum & Coca Cola - Lord Invader

*I Don’t Want No Old Man - Lady Iere

*Bad Johns - Mighty Sparrow

* Run Away - Singing Francine

*You Bound To Come Back To Rose - Calypso Rose

*Play Mas - Lord Kitchener

*Carnival Long Ago/ J’Ouvert Baré Yo - Roaring Lion

*The Long Time Band - David Rudder

*Engine Room - David Rudder

*Carnival is Over - Lord Kitchener

This playlist just scratches the surface of my old school calypso favourites so I will probably share more in the future. Did you recognize any of the songs?

Photography Credit: Kyeon Constantine