Marvellous Boy: Calypso from West Africa

Though the esteemed English imprint Honest Jon's has devoted a number of compilations to documenting the thriving West Indian music scene of the `30s, `40s, and `50s, MARVELLOUS BOY: CALYPSO FROM WEST AFRICA stands out insofar as it documents calypso's transatlantic passage from the West Indies to Africa. These recordings were made in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, and a number of other West African countries in the `40s and `50s. Their propulsive rhythms and playful melodies are a precursor to the driving Afro-beat sound that would emerge in subsequent decades.