Kawe Calypso

With their banjo, electric guitar and Patois song, Kawe Calypso celebrate mischievous old-school calypso. Their vintage carneval sound is more reminiscent of Trinidad than their native Costa Rica. But why do they sing in Creole English, when their mother tongue is Spanish?

The answer: after the abolition of slavery, Jamaican migrant workers came to the Central American mainland to earn money building railroads or working the new banana plantations. They brought with them their language and music. In musical terms, “Costaricalypso“ is practically a continuation of Trinidadian calypso from the 1940s and 1950s, spiced up with some Jamaican mento. However, the lyrics are more a reflection of everyday life in the neglected east of Costa Rica.

Traffic restrictions From 23 July, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee is closed to motorized traffic between Haus der Kulturen der Welt and Spreeweg. The Haus is still accessible to drivers coming from the direction of the Reichstag but parking is severely restricted. The 100 Bus route will be diverted to Straße des 17. Juni and there is a provisional bus stop “Haus der Kulturen der Welt”. More...