The 82-year-old calypsonian will be releasing her first album since 2018 this August. Its first single is a rendition of Andy Palacio’s “Watina” and features music legends Carlos Santana and The Garifuna Collective.
By Khaila Gentle
BELIZE CITY, Sun. May 22, 2022
The Queen of Calypso music, Calypso Rose, has announced the launch of her latest album, FOREVER, which is scheduled to be released on August 26 of this year. The album’s first single is a cover of Andy Palacio’s “Watina”, performed by Calypso Rose alongside the Garifuna Collective and famed guitarist Carlos Santana. And since its premiere on May 19, the single’s music video, which was shot in Belize, has received some 20,000 views on YouTube alone.
The release of the album Watina by Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective back in 2007 was a pivotal point in time for Belizean music, as the album, an instant classic, brought Garifuna music to an international stage. Now, almost fifteen years later, this legendary collaboration will see the album’s titular track revived, with Rose paying homage to the Garifuna language and people.
On the day of the song’s debut, a media release from Calypso Rose’s long-time producer, Belize-born Ivan Duran stated that “with ‘Watina’, she pays homage to the Garifuna, a Caribbean people scarred by slavery, excluded from memory, and part of whose population now lives not only in the US, but also on the coasts of four Central American countries: Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Belize.”
The release also noted that Calypso Rose was perhaps the only person who could successfully recapture the “frenzy and impact” of “Watina” while still respecting the legacy of Andy Palacio.
“By recording and reimagining the song with the same musicians, she reaffirms her Belizean ties and once again exploits the contrast between the festive spirit and the social dimension of the music,” it said.
The Garifuna Collective was co-founded and led by the late Andy Palacio and even after his passing in 2008, they have continued to tour and perform in his memory. The band is the embodiment of Palacio’s commitment to keeping Garifuna language and traditions alive despite threats to its existence.
“We are so honoured that the queen, Calypso Rose, has done a version of our song ‘Watina’, accompanied by the legend Carlos Santana with the production from Stonetree Records,” expressed the band on their official Facebook page on the eve of the single’s release date.
World-renowned guitarist Carlos Santana previously stated that “Calypso Rose is a goddess of música del Caribe: a person who offers her heart & changes people’s lives & destiny.”
The album FOREVER will see the Calypsonian revisit some of her greatest classics and bring original material with a “distinctly modern approach”. It will consist of fourteen songs total and will feature artists from a wide range of genres, including Soca king Machel Montano and Dancehall icon Mr. Vegas.
FOREVER was produced by Ivan Duran of Stonetree Records in Benque Viejo.