I still have very spotty information on Virgin Islands calypso but certainly as early as the Fifties Trinidad calypsonians were going to the Virgin Islands to perform at their Carnival and in hotels. The Mighty Zebra, Charles Harris, came to VI for the 1952 Carnival and appears to have stayed for several years being based at the Virgin Isles Hotel with the La Motta Brothers Band. He recorded an album for RCA in 1956 where he covered songs by Radio, Terrror, Spoiler as well as his own calypsos like the following one for the all female steelband, the Girl Pat Band.
Zebra - Ping-PongZebra was born in Grenada in about 1927 and is deceased. He moved to Trinidad as a child and became very interested in calypso. He was in the Young Brigade tent in the late '40s. Sang No Pan, No Pan in the Band in the Young Brigade in 1948 and a song about stick fighting. He was active in the tents until he moved to the Virgin Islands. He returned to Trinidad to appear in the OYB tent in 1959 featuring Jamaica and the Federation. He continued to sing in the OYB throughout the '60s. I'm looking of course for more information on his career.Christmas night was confusion
Mama believe me I jump in a steel band
It was the Girl Pat orchestra coming dozen
With some fiery tunes to burn the town
So I jump in the band without hesitation
And ask the leader for a beat on her ping pong
Chorus:
Give me a beat on your pomalong, pomalong, pom, porn
And armed with my big stick in my hand
Give me a beat on your pomalong, pomalong, pom, porn, pomalong
The woman start to bawl like a ram goat
I'll give you a beat but I fraid you bust the note
I sald darling I'll be careful
Because I see that the ping pong is very beautiful
She said that stick you got too big for this pan
And if you bust the notes I have another one
I said honey I give you a guarantee
That if you give me a beats I will touch the notes softly
All that I beg for she wouldn't give me
So I said I got to do a little showing off on she
So I snatch another girl's ping pong
And I started to beaf a beautiful little song
Bassplayer then started to get jealous
Zebble I want my tune boom test
But before I touch a note the leader start to shout
Chorus:
Don't let him beat on your pomalong, pom, porn
He going to mash up your tomalong, pang, pang
Give me a beat on your tomalong pom, pang, pamlong
When I saw water more than flower
I decoded to start making advances on her
So I spoke some remarkable English
But she turn to me and said, Zebbie you foolish
I could have give you a beat without all that fuss
But that stick you got is ridiculous
So I left the band and ran home like a mad man
And work down the stick to suit the occasion.
Ray Funk
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