Calypso, with its richly diverse cultural heritage, was the most significant Caribbean musical form from World War I to Trinidad and Tobago Independence in 1962. Though wildly popular in mid-1950s America, Calypso--along with other music from ""the island of the hummingbird""--has been largely neglected or forgotten. This first-ever discography of the first 50 years of Trinidadian music includes all the major artists, as well as many unknowns. Chronological entries for 78 rpm recordings give bibliographical references, periodicals and websites and the recording location. Rare field recordings are catalogued for the first time, including East Indian and Muslim community performances and Shango and Voodoo rites. Appendices give 10-inch LP (78 rpm), 12-inch LP (33 1?3 rpm), extended play and 7-inch single listings. Non-commercial field recordings, radio broadcasts and initially unissued sessions also are listed. The influence of Trinidadian music on film, and the ""Calypso craze"" are discussed. Audio sources are provided. Indexes list individual artists and groups, titles and labels.

This annotated discography covers the first 50 years of audio recordings by black artists in chronological order, music made in the ""acoustic era"" of recording technology. The book has cross-referenced bibliographical information on recording sessions, including audio sources for extant material, and appendices on field recordings; Caribbean, Mexican and South American recordings; piano rolls performed by black artists; and a filmography detailing the visual record of black performing artists from the period. Indexes contain all featured artists, titles recorded and labels.

A Discography bringing together recordings that could be considered part of the African-American musical experience and that played some part in the emergence of blues and jazz music. African musical forms have been considered of primarily importance yet there has been little attempt to bring together the recorded evidence from West Africa that might provide the necessary background for the development of African-American musical forms. In addition, once in the United States the recordings of former slaves giving their views and singing their songs have been included to add to this account. Amazingly, it was not until the 1930s that it was thought important enough to record their voices for posterity. Furthermore, there are field recordings from the Caribbean basin, and especially, those related to the religious rituals of Voodoo with its undoubted connection to Africa and its transmission to the United States. All of these features give a more complete view of the African American musical experience.