Dr. Calypso-Interview

Band name:
Dr. Calypso

Members and the instruments they play:

Luis "Luismi" and Sergi "sheriff" - voices

Jordi Manya and Fernando "Damned" - Guitars

Paco Manzanares - Keyboards

Iñaki Alvarez "Piñaki" - Bass

Eric "Chavalito" Herrera - Drums

Enric Grau "Xato" - Trombone

Raul Lazaro - Sax

Jordi "Jorgito" Ramiro - Trumpet

Average Age: From 24 to 38

Year band formed: 1988

Home town: Barcelona

Homepage: www.drcalypso.com

CD's (Year of release):
You can see this in our web site.

Date of interview: 6/07/02

Questions directly relating to you:

DerDUDE:
How did you come up with your band name? Does it have a background??
Dr. Calypso:
We were looking for something that sounds "tropical" or "Caribbean". And the "Doctor" thing was because we thought something about "musical doctors" or something...

DerDUDE:
How would you specify your style as a ska band?
Dr. Calypso:
We love Jamaican rhythms from early calypso, ska, rock steady, reggae, dub, and we try to show it in our records and gigs.
So we don't play just traditional ska or just early reggae, we use to spice it with all the styles we love (including 2Tone, ska-jazz, reggae...)
In our gigs we play songs from people like the Skatalites, Pioneers, Specials, Max Romeo, Lord Creator, Prince Buster, the Paragons, Madness, the Beat.

DerDUDE:
Which song would you suggest someone to listen to in order to get to know your music best?
Dr. Calypso:
Maybe "Return" (Barbarossaplatz) or "2300 milions (Toxic Sons).

DerDUDE:
Which ska band/personality influenced you the most?
Dr. Calypso:
I think my favourite is Mr. Prince Buster, but the Skatalites are a big influence to the band too.

DerDUDE:
Apart from ska, what music style influenced you the most?
Dr. Calypso:
I personally love a lot of different styles. Maybe in the band our biggest influences apart from ska and reggae are punk-rock, soul, power pop and least jazz and Latin soul.

DerDUDE:
What message are you trying to get across to people with your music?
Dr. Calypso:
We're not a political band, but playing a music born in the ghettos we always got some place for more conscious lyrics.

DerDUDE:
Does ska have a political meaning for you, and if so what is it?
Dr. Calypso:
As I say before, this music was created by the people of the ghettos, people that wanted to be happy listening or playing music but at the same time claim against the political/economical authorities and oppressors.
So this way are our lyrics, half happiness, and half combat.

Concerts:

DerDUDE:
What were the best and worst venues you've played?
Dr. Calypso:
More than 500. Mostly in Catalonia, some concerts in Spain, 4 tours in Germany, 3 in Italy, and some gigs in Switzerland, France, Portugal and Netherlands. (You can see our entire gig list in our web).
I don't want to remember the worst gigs or venues, maybe playing in front of 15-30 persons in sweaty little pubs.
The best: playing with the Skatalites, with Toots & the Maytals, with the Selecter and two open air festivals in Barcelona playing for 8000-12000 people. Our trumpet reminds me a play-back we do in the F.C.Barcelona football stadium.

DerDUDE:
How would you describe your audience?
Dr. Calypso:
All ages, all styles. From pre-teenagers to thirty-some, from punks to skins, common people...

DerDUDE:
Which song do you usually play as an encore?
Dr. Calypso:
We use to play 4 of our biggest hits (Return, 2300 Milions, Pole Man, and Pardalets).

DerDUDE:
Have you got any weird touring experiences worth a mention?
Dr. Calypso:
We got some weird experiences like being arrested by the police for some disappeared mics. Other weird experience was once that half of the band burned off a rented van coming from Frankfurt to Barcelona after a gig. They left the van in a little French village (with all the instruments) and then started a 13-hours nightmare to return to Barcelona (just to do 400 Km.)

DerDUDE:
Which band would you most like to play with?
Dr. Calypso:
Prince Buster.

DerDUDE:
I've always been interested to know how you deal with Nazi-Skins at your gigs.
Dr. Calypso:
They simply don't come to our gigs.

Ska History:

DerDUDE:
There's a lot of talk about 3 ska waves. How far can you identify yourselves with those? What do you think is going to come after the 3rd wave? What's the future of ska?
Dr. Calypso:
When we started (in 1988) all the bands were playing 2-Tone style and just a few play 60´s ska (Ska Flames, Jump with Joey...). Our first intention was to play 60´s ska and rocksteady but also 2-Tone and calypso and whatever we like. In few years, 2-Tone became obsolete and the trend was the then called "traditional ska". When we started we use to play songs by Prince Buster, the Skatalites, Toots and the Maytals... but also the Specials, the Beat, Madness...
In 2002 we still play songs by the Specials, P. Buster, the Pioneers... We keep playing what we love.
I don't know what will be the next trend. After the Skinhead Reggae and the String Reggae, what will be the next?
Maybe the next will be to close the circle and return back to the 2-Tone (ha, ha, ha , it's a joke...or not!).
The new Spanish bands just don't play classic ska; they play SH Reggae, early reggae or ska-jazz.

DerDUDE:
Why do you think it is that most young bands either play traditional ska or ska-punk?
Dr. Calypso:
I don't know. Maybe some of them want to go backwards and some forward. I like both styles if well played.

DerDUDE:
Why do you think it's so difficult for ska to establish itself? Do you think ska is doomed to continue to play a minor role in the music scene?
Dr. Calypso:
I think ska is established firmly in some countries like Germany or Catalonia. But it's really difficult if you play "pure" ska (or rocksteady or reggae) to get wider audiences. If you play ska-pop or reggae-pop or whatever-pop it's easier.
I don't know. The trends goes faster and faster. Today it's techno and hip-hop. Tomorrow, who knows?
But the bands (at least in Catalonia) don't stop playing, making records, tours...
We have an established circuit and we have labels, bands, fanzines, concerts, radio stations... and most important, ska fans.

General:

DerDUDE:
Which band or ska CD do you recommend (apart from your own) to the people out there?
Dr. Calypso:
Not strictly ska, but the Johnny "Dizzy" Moore band playing with U-Roy impressed me a lot. I also love the latest Ernest Ranglin releases.

DerDUDE:
Who, in your eyes is the "Godfather of Ska"?
Dr. Calypso:
I'm sorry for Laurel Aitken, but for me is Prince Buster.

DerDUDE:
What's going to be coming up in terms of gigs or any other projects? Is there a new CD coming out?
Dr. Calypso:
We got a lot of gigs this summer and maybe some gigs in Italy and Switzerland. I don't think this year we'll tour Germany.
We're now writing new songs for our 4th studio release. I think our new CD will be released next year.
Grover Records has just reissued our 2nd CD "Toxic Sons" in the "Vinyl Only" label.

DerDUDE:
When is it going to be out and what should we be expecting?
Dr. Calypso:
It will go out next year, maybe in 2003 spring.
Expect more rhythmical recipes from the doctors!

DerDUDE:
A bit of space for your own comments and anything else you want to add!!!...
Dr. Calypso:
Thank you for the interview and keep on skankin´.

DerDUDE:
Thanks for the interesting interview!

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