Preserving calypso
celebrating heritagE
Global hub for calypso research, education, and presentation. Honoring authentic history. Inspiring future generations.
CALYPSO IN THE AIR
CALYPSO IN THE AIR
Upcoming events
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Kaiso City Episode 1
October 4, 2025 8:00-8:30 AM
Tune into the Kaiso City podcast this October on JazzFM91 — we’re celebrating Calypso History Month, hosted by Mr. Wonderful and Jesse Ryan.
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Kaiso City Episode 2
October 11, 2025 8:00-8:30 AM
Tune into the Kaiso City podcast this October on JazzFM91 — we’re celebrating Calypso History Month, hosted by Mr. Wonderful and Jesse Ryan.
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KS Legacy Ensemble live At Hugh's Room
November 27, 2025 8:00 PM
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Ah wanna fall Album & Docu-film Release
February 20 7:30-10:00 PM
Debut record from the Kaiso Street Collective featuring the music of the Mighty Bomber.
Our Vision
We envision a world where Calypso’s legacy is preserved, its knowledge passed on, and its authentic sound and ethos experienced worldwide.
Where the diaspora gathers, Calypso speaks
We’re amplifying the diasporic pulse that bridges Calypso’s four cultural epicenters.
Join the Movement
Help us preserve and celebrate calypso's rich cultural heritage. Your support makes a difference.
SAVING CALYPSO
Kaiso Street Society featured in the latest issue of WholeNote Magazine.
We’re excited to share this insightful article, "Saving Calypso," by Gloria Blizzard from the latest issue of The WholeNote, featuring an in-depth interview with our Founder & Director, Jesse Ryan.
They discuss the mission of the Kaiso Street Society and Calypso's enduring legacy globally despite its waning popularity.
meet the founder
Jesse Ryan is a JUNO-nominated saxophonist and composer with a keen interest in the connections between jazz and Afro-Caribbean musical traditions. He’s the 2020 recipient of the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Emerging Jazz Artist Award and currently serves on the board of directors for the Toronto Arts Foundation.
Ryan grew up in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago surrounded by a rich heritage of music and is the grandson of one of the islands’ calypso veterans, the late Clifton Ryan, aka the “Mighty Bomber”.
He’s studied at Berklee College of Music, Boston, and Humber College, Toronto where he received a B.Mus. Degree in Contemporary Music. He’s currently pursuing an MFA in Music Composition at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
“…a new jazz artist in the diaspora reconnecting with his roots to seal the idea of Caribbean music beyond a dance accompaniment.“ — Caribbean Beat Magazine, 2021.
INspiring a calypso renaissance
Kaiso Street Society is dedicated to preserving and celebrating Calypso traditions and the legacy of its key proponents while highlighting its connection to jazz traditions and reframing its global impact as music for social change. Q
