Music Fundamentals A Balanced Approach

TRACK 91

“Matilda, Matilda” (N. Span), West Indies folk song

2. “Matilda, Matilda,” West Indies folk song, Calypso rhythm

Listen to “Matilda, Matilda” a folk song from the West Indies. Then sing it again with a piano or guitar
accompaniment playing the chords that are given; listen for the chord changes.

TRIADS: ROMAN NUMERALS

331

Calypso is a type of music that arose in the early 1900s in Trinidad and Tobago (islands in the West Indies about seven miles

northeast of Venezuela.) Its roots (called “Creole”) were African mixed with Spanish, French, and English musical traditions. Its

lyrics, sometimes satirical, were originally useful as a means to discuss politics and news of the day. (In “Matilda, Matilda” the

lyrics bemoan a jilted man’s loss of his girlfriend. Not only does she take his money, she takes his horse and cart and runs away

to Venezuela!)

Calypso rhythms are noted for their syncopations.

Play these rhythms by tapping the accents (>) on a hard surface using the heel of the hand; tap notes without accents using the

fingers.

Culturalnote: Calypso rhythm