Calypso drew upon African and French influences, and became the voice of the people. It was characterized by highly rhythmic and harmonic vocals, which was most often sung in a French creole and led by a griot. As calypso developed, the role of the griot (originally a similar traveling musician in West Africa) became known as a chantuelle and eventually, calypsonian. As English replaced "patois" (Antillean creole) as the dominant language, calypso migrated into English, and in so doing it attracted more attention from the government. It allowed the masses to challenge the doings of the unelected Governor and Legislative Council, and the elected town councils of Port of Spain and San Fernando. Calypso continued to play an important role in political expression, and also served to document the history of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. Calypso music was developed in Trinidad in the 17th century from the West African Kaiso and canboulay music brought by African slaves imported to that Caribbean island to work on sugar plantations. The slaves, brought to toil on sugar plantations, were stripped of all connections to their homeland and family and not allowed to talk to each other. They used calypso to mock the slave masters and to communicate with each other. Many early calypsos were sung in French Creole by an individual called a griot. As calypso developed, the role of the griot (originally a similar traveling musician in West Africa) became known as a chantuelle and eventually, calypsonian. Modern calypso, however, began in the 19th century, a fusion of disparate elements ranging from the masquerade song lavway, French Creole belair and the calindastick-fighting chantwell. Calypso's early rise was closely connected with the adoption of Carnival by Trinidadian slaves, including canboulay drumming and the music masquerade processions. The French brought Carnival to Trinidad, and calypso competitions at Carnival grew in popularity, especially after the abolition of slavery in 1834.

Today’s Arubans are generally of mixed ancestry of Caquetio Indian, African and European roots. In the early 20th Century with immigration to Aruba from the British Caribbean the Calyspo music couldn’t stay behind. Influenced by American tourists and the Latin Americans working in Aruba, Halloween is now observed and to a lesser extent the celebration of Dia de Los Muertos among the Latin Americans. The first beliefs and superstitions in Aruba date from Pre-Columbian times, when Indians roamed on Aruba. After 1820, with the disappearance of the Indians their imagery and cultural heritage was lost. With the influx of slavery during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, African beliefs and superstitions were assimilated, some of which are evident in the traditions of Dera Gai, Dande, and harvest feasts.

Aruba’s Calypso and Roadmarch Contest was successfully organized for 51 years by the Aruban Carnaval Committee (SAC) until when the AVP government and their Minister of Culture went interfering with a sovereign entity although subsidized partially by public funds. Since 2013 a new Carnaval commite was installed and I must say it’s literally a copy paste of the former. It was all a game plan for more power and greed by the incumbent Government. The musicians the heart of the Carnival Festival was never please with their participation. Prior to a new musician association MUSICA their was ASOMA and there was always issues back and forth like anything that has e economic structure behind it. SAC the organizing commite for the last 60 years got pushed aside with the help of incompetent polticians and after two years the biggest Cultural event of Aruba has been cancelled. This makes me very angry of course looking at the history and cultural heritage this means to the Afro English speaking population in Aruba. What a disgrace to see a Prime Minister that got elected by this same demographic has let the people of San Nicolas down once again. Not only did his Government do a terrible disastrous job governing our tiny island nation but he also destroyed a cultural event that has it roots deeply embedded in San Nicolas and its natives. So the big question is who’s fault is it. It wouldn’t be fair to say its totally the Governments fault, but the Government has a symbolic gesture in the entire Carnaval season. The Carnival Committee is encharge of organising the events, but if by whatever reason they can’t organize the events its the Prime Minister and\or Minister of Culture to intervene for the benefit of general interest. Mr. Eman once again showed that San Nicolas is only good for votes with no dignified representation from his side. What a shame to see after 51 years our ancestors favorite SocialPoltical event has been cancelled by the AVP Government, a bloody shame to say the least. I hope the people finally awake and see what’s at stake here. Not only did we (Aruban people) loose on this issue, but it affected the whole Carnival season; in my opinion it’s not acceptable to have the new Carnival Committee stay in power, they should resign and the Government should learn from this painful lesson and have SAC return as the organizing body and the musicians have to get their act together. From ASOMA to MUSICA and now they are proposing a new musical organisation. After they fought SAC for many years and SAC succeeded to them to organise the festival for 5 years. In merely three years they can’t handle it anymore how pathetic is this. Life is about discovering who we are; leading is about striving to become better than we are, and helping everything and everyone around us to become better too. I can only hope we all have learned a bitter lesson that politics should stay out and\or have limited influence in certain aspects of modern life. The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things. I finalize with an excerpt of a Calypso song form Le Groove: Calypso is muse and gossip, so where the frans you all come from to stop it???