One of the first bands to make a commercial recording in the United States was a group of Afro Caribbean musicians from Trinidad called Lovey’s String Band, who recorded a calypso song called “Mango Vert” in 1912 several years before jazz or any other kind of African American music would be recorded.  The craze for Caribbean music in the US reached its height in 1956 when Harry Belafonte’s Calypso became the first record album to sell more than a million copies.  The United States colonial relationship with several Caribbean islands created an atmosphere where Afro-Caribbean culture became valued as part of a recreation package that promised carefree relaxation under the depoliticized guise of tourism.  Calypso had other ideas though and would comment on everything from sex work and exploitation to racial politics in the US.  This mix explores the exchange between Calypso in the US and Trinidad. It includes popular African Americans musicians such as Nat King Cole, Josephine Baker, Maya Angelou and Harry Belafonte as well as commentary on US-Trinidad relations by artists such as Wilmouth Houdini, Bill Bonaparte, and Mighty Sparrow.  It features rare tracks like “Martin Luther King for President” and “The Only Black Man in the Ku Klux Klan.”  It even includes a risqué track from a popular African American calypso musician called The Charmer, who would eventually change his name to Louis Farrakhan and go on to further fame by becoming the leader of the Nation of Islam.     

Calypso USA!

Hung Up feat. Genesis Renji

YOU ARE (MORE THAN)(PROD. MICAH x TAJ RAIDEN)

Venus and Serena (feat. Taj Raiden & Q The Sun)

Jazzy ft. Tru - "S.E.X Remix”

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Stevie Nicks - Stand Back (The Owl Rework)

For this special episode of SRAMcast we’ve partnered with Liv Cycling to share a panel discussion from the 2019 Sea Otter Classic. The event was titled, “A Seat at the Table” and included ambassadors, athletes, technicians, and engineers. Panel members discussed their views on the current state of diversity within the sport of cycling and how to expand it. 

Panel members included:

SRAM Ambassador, Liv Racing athlete, and owner of, “A Quick Brown Fox dot com,” Ayesha McGowan.

Bike mechanic and service specialist at Ruckus Composites, Laura Solís.

Student, artist, and competitive free skier, Brooklyn Bell.

SRAM product design engineer, David Reyes.

SRAM ambassador and Liv Racing athlete, bike mechanic, and freelance designer, Sam Scipio.

And Giant Factory mountain bike team racer, Eliot Jackson.

The panel discussion was hosted by Brook Hopper from Liv Cycling and 
SRAM Women’s Program Manager, Sara Jarrell.

SRAMCast 2019 Season

SRAMCast - SWLC Diversity Panel

Jools went from a ten-year hiatus to literally write the book on getting "Back in the Frame". Learn how she went from being too afraid to ride her new bike home from the shop to feeling confident enough to do laps around the National Velodrome.

@ladyvelo on IG

Chapter 8: Jools Walker

Have A Seat

I strictly spin vinyl keeping a look out for all the great shit that you forgot about!

Calypso USA!

afrekete

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