Musical presentations of calypso were part of the celebration this past May 7th in the central park of Alajuela. Calypso is a musical genre that is part of the Afro-descendant intangible cultural heritage of Costa Rica.
It`s day is celebrated every May 7th, a date that coincides with the birth of one of the greatest exponents of this music: Walter Ferguson Byfiel, known as the “King of Calipso”
To commemorate National Calipso Day, the Municipality of Alajuela held an event full of musical performances this past Sunday, May 7th, from 10 a.m., in Alajuela’s central park.
The activity was organized through the Cultural, Sports and Recreational Development Activity, and offered music by national groups such as the Alajuela Concert Band and “Son sin par”.
The calypso is originally from the Antilles, but in the country it developed and took on its own characteristics. It began to be heard in the Costa Rican Caribbean from the year 1870, when people from the islands of Jamaica, Barbados and Saint Kitts arrived.
