A Playlist Inspired by The Novel “The Dragon Can’t Dance”

In Arima, visiting the mini memorial to one of calypso’s greatest icons, The Lord Kitchener

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).

At the historic Dial in Arima, the centre of Lord Kitchener’s (and my) hometown

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