This is Henry Jacobs
with another program
of Music and Folklore.
Today on our general series
of programs
dealing with the origins of music,
we're going to discuss the
origins of Calypso
with a rather well -known Hebrew scholar
Dr. Sholem Stein
from the City College of New York.
Dr. Stein has just
returned from a trip
throughout the Caribbean area
where he's been collecting the ex
amples of Calypso
you'll be hearing in background.
Well, Dr. Stein,
I understand that you feel that there one time
seems to have been a
very significant Hebraic influence
in the ca lypso music of
the West Indies.
Is that true?
That's very true, Mr. Jacobs.
You know the story
of Wandering Jew,
and we find the Hebraic characters
or the world history scattered all over,
even in as far away places as Nassau
and the Bahamas.
Well, now, you pointed out in the lyrics
of this tun e
we're hearing now regarding tomatoes. Tomatoes,
yes.
We might listen to the words for a moment,
and then you could comment on some of the
content
as you were doing earlier.
Yes, I would be glad to do that,
Mr. Jacobs.
Tomatoes, let me find these.
I have it in my briefcase here,
the tomatoes. Let's see now. Oh, yes.
Now, I will read it for you,
if don't mind if I read it for
you.
Way, way down south where
bananas grow,
an d saw stepping on elephant toes.
Elephant jumped with tears in his eyes.
He said, why don't you mash
someone your size?
Now, Mr. Jacobs,
this seems like an innocent,
rather in nocent verse,
but comparing it with the Mishnah,
you are familiar with the Mishnah?
Well, it's now one of the seven books of Moses,
you know. Yes, it is the third book.
There's a similar thing
that doesn't refer to bananas, of course.
Bananas were unknown in Jerusalem
in the Old Testament times,
you know. Bananas. Plantains.
Well, what is the symbol here,
would you say?
Well, bananas, you see,
and plantains is similar,
football -like,
more of a football -like,
the cosmos,
you see, the cosmos.
You know what I mean?
There are scientific authorities today
who have shown us
with unerring accuracy
that the world is, the earth, that is,
as we know it, is not so much shaped like,
more like a football, you know,
and it seems to be maintaining
its balance that way,
going on and on through the ages,
you see.
Dr. Stein, I understand
that one of your areas of
secondary interest
is in the field of political science.
Yes, yes, political science, oh yes.
Of course,
the picture in Palestine
Palestine has been of interest to
Did you see that picture?
No, doctor,
I meant the picture in the general
Oh, I see, I see, yes, the picture,
the general picture in
Palestine.
Well, now you...
Very menacing, yes,
very menacing.
It's fraught with great danger
for the entire world.
Do you realize that Israel is
the pivot point of the Near East,
and if that falls, the British Empire,
the Suez Canal,
consequently the Panama Canal.
In fact, all canals,
international trade will be affected,
and the British pound sterling will go down.
That will bring the value of gold up,
and the ratio will be thrown
off balance
to create reflections even in the ruble,
you know, the yen.
Yes, it's a very profound subject.
Economics, very interesting.
Well, has there been any,
do you think there'll be any interest
in Palestine
regarding this finding of yours?
Any interest in...
Well I'm trying to in terest...
I'm trying to interest Jascha Heifetz to,
you know, Jascha Heifetz has a fine voice,
I wonder if you know that.
He com menced his career as a cantor
in the Lower East Side,
and we are trying to get him
to sing in the town hall
some calypso melodies,
accompanying himself of
course on the guitar.
He's a wonderful guitarist, you know.
Well, this re lationship,
can you musicologically
state the relationship between
the calypso we're hearing
and one of the Hebrew folk songs?
Well, as I say, they all have their
Old Testament base
in the Mishnah, yes, of course we could trace
that back, yes.
And you have traced it?
Oh, yes, yes, I, of course, it's a complicated,
very deep, profound subject
to go into now.
I would suggest that you re commend,
perhaps, to your audience
to read my forthcoming book
entitled Bahama Mama.
Of course, Bahama Mama,
it refers to the mother myth
of the Bahamian Indians,
you see, and how through
their matriarchal society
you see the connections
with the subject at hand.
An d it goes very deep, very profound,
and has international complications
on the financial world
as well as just any place.
Well, I understand you've
been giving a recent series
before your last trip to the West Indies,
a series of lectures.
Yes, I have been giving those lectures
at the New School
for some time now,
and they've met with varied
comment
from the audience,
when the people came at all.
Well, I understand you had some theories
on the psychoanalytic signific
ance of music.
Yes, of course.
We all know that music is related to the psyche.
For example,
what does the word psyche mean?
No. It means the soul. Soul.
And what was the question again?
The relation with the Bahama music,
yes, oh yes, in general,
more in general than specifically
I would say, and my forthcoming book,
Bahama Mama,
it takes up that subject,
goes into it very...
I really feel it's a penetrating analysis
indeed, yes.
Well, I suggest that perhaps
we listen to some of this Calypso music
and let the audience perhaps
draw their own conclusions,
and I'm sure they'll be interested
in your forthcoming book.
Bahama Mama,
yes, Bahama Mama.
Dr. Sholem Stein of City College in
New York.
You'll find that in any bookstore.