A Night of Calypso Film Difficulty Ranking: 2
If you’re looking for an introduction to the calypso music of Panama, you’ve come to the right place. A Night of Calypso will introduce you to some of the torch bearers of the genre, bring you up to speed with it’s influences, and give you an overview of the history of Afro-Caribbean people in Panama. You’ll also get a free ticket to a night of calypso music courtesy of Grupo Amistad.
From: Panama, North America
Watch: Trailer, IMDB
Next: Batuque, Talking About Trees, The Defiant Ones
The Breakdown
A Night of Calypso plays like your typical documentary.
- It’s well structured, with chapters breaking up the film to inform you what you’re seeing. Each part delves into a different aspect of calypso and the black Panamanian experience. All of these chapters are tied together by a big calypso concert featuring all of the artists interviewed which acts as a reminder that the genre still lives, as the chapters and interviews explore the past.
- It’s composed mainly of artists speaking directly to the camera. In this sense it reminded me of Netflix’s The Defiant Ones, but for Panamanian calypso rather than U.S. Rock and Hip Hop. It’s a film about the artists, told by the artists.
- It’s educational. It features a lot of old pictures of Panama, such as pictures of Afro Caribbeans building the Panama Canal, and evidence of the Jim Crow-style segregation in the country to remind you of the horrors they faced. There’s also a few info-graphics that give it a school-video feel.
However, one thing you might not notice are young musicians. A Night of Calypso looks more like a tribute documentary or grand reunion of the old masters of the genre than a documentary about a musical genre that still lives brightly. Their weakening grasp on the current world of music is confirmed when one of the musicians hints that rap is the future. He’s not wrong, but he is 20 years late. It indicates that their time as the leaders of Panama’s music scene has passed. As a result, their last concert and the documentary as a whole, feels like their last big tribute to the genre and a celebration of their achievements.
What to Watch Next
First off, if it’s available, check out Talking About Trees. It features a group of old Sudanese filmmakers who are getting the gang back together for a screening of their old films. Their last hurrah feels a lot like the final concert in A Night of Calypso.
Or if discovering music from around the world is your thing, check out Batuque from Cape Verde, or Junun (an overlooked PTA film).
Lastly, you could also check out The Defiant Ones, one of the better TV documentaries to come out from the last few years, charting the rise of Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre.
','' ); } ?>