The Remarkable Origins and Heritage of Trinidad’s Parang Music

Parang Music and Other Genres

However, Parang persisted basically because its singers maintained contact with Venezuela, and the music was enjoyed by both the rural Hispanic population and rural population in general. It was not subject to any form of suppression or censorship as calypso, a musical form of expression developed by the African slaves in the eighteenth century and an off-shoot of canboulay. Parang music is centered around the Roman Catholic religion, and the music is therefore a lot milder, reserved and free from double entendre: a staple of calypso music.

Ole Time Trinidad Parang from the heart Lopinot – Papa Guhn (Goon) & Sotero Gomez with Lopinot Serenaders.

In a society like Trinidad and Tobago where there is cultural diversity, there is always a tendency to merge some aspect of music, and Parang music is no exception. For instance, Soca became an infusion of Calypso and Chutney music. It is also common in Trinidad to play the different genres of music at the same location. Singers from these various genres are also crossing over into other genres and singing their adapted versions of the music.