Far from their tropical homeland on the island of Trinidad & Tobago, birthplace of the sound system, a new generation of calypso competitors are making some serious noise. Based in Queens, NY, dozens of teenage kids of Caribbean origin are now blasting out their loud music through the streets of the Big Apple.
In Trinidad & Tobago, ever since the abolition of slavery from the British in 1834, Calypsonians have been competing at the annual island carnival. Today in Trinidad, these same verbal fights, which look a lot like hip hop clashes, are broadcasted on TV. Although the kids (like the Futur Shock featured in this video) have brought the culture of the music competition to New York, the good old calypso now sounds more like Chutney, Socca and Reggeton. Even so, the fights that take place at these block parties still go by one motto : no mercy.
