Maude Dikobe

Doing She Own Thing: Gender, Performance and Subversion in Trinidad Calypso Maude Dikobe

Doing She Own Thing is an outstanding and provocative study of the ways women in the calypso scene have been active agents in the creation and development of calypso in Trinidad. Significantly, it provides a long-overdue assessment of how women have managed to have their voices heard amidst sexist lyrics and the condescending attitudes of many of their male counterparts. Maude Dikobe captures not only the significance of the lyrics they sing, but also the power of their bodily movements in performance. This book introduces the Herstory of Calypso, the rise of women on the calypso stage, and the ways in which women sing, dance, and write their own versions of gender and sexuality. This truly original work is a must-read for anyone interested in Caribbean popular culture, gender and performance studies, literature, and African diaspora studies. Jocelyne Guilbault, Author of Governing Sound: the Cultural Politics of Trinidad's Carnival Musics.