Home of the Calypso King

The World

The birthplace of calypso music is our focus for the Geo Quiz: The island we’re looking for is the fifth largest in the West Indies.

It sits just off the coast of Venezuela. It’s original inhabitants are thought to have called it the “Land of the Humming Bird.”

That was before Columbus renamed it.

Later, when French settlers and slaves came to this island, they introduced carnival and it was during these celebrations that calypso music was born.

The man nicknamed the “King of Calypso” comes from there.

Anchor Marco Werman says one of the best archival releases of the year is “Sparrowmania!” The album is a compilation from the Mighty Sparrow, the best-known of Trinidad’s legendary calypso singers and composers.

And Trinidad is also the island we were looking for in the Geo Quiz.

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