 Pirates and Privateers
The History of Maritime
Piracy
Cindy Vallar, Editor
& Reviewer
P.O. Box 425,
Keller, TX 76244-0425
Books for
Adults ~ Art, Music, Poetry, & Stories
Pirates of the East Coast of
the Americas & the Caribbean Sea
Guitar and Vocals: Roy Metté
Fiddle: Charlie Skelton
Percussion: Simon Wallington
CD, 2008, US $12.97 / UK £12.00
A singer
and songwriter, Roy Metté introduces listeners to
Caribbean pirates and their lives of yore through
fourteen original songs. The fourteen tracks spin
historically accurate tales of Bartholomew Roberts,
Anne Bonny, William Kidd, Calico Jack Rackham,
Blackbeard, Israel Hands, Jean Laffite, Charles
Vane, and Benito De Soto. One track is a recitation
of Roberts’s articles. “Paradise Island” is an eerie
account of a pirate’s marooning. The other three
songs are about sailing the seas, the infamous
pirate haven Tortuga, and a traitorous parrot. The
words for all of Metté's
original songs are provided, as is an introduction
by Jon E. Lewis, the editor of The Mammoth Book
of Pirates.
Metté ingeniously works tidbits from history – such
as Kidd being hanged twice, Black Bart’s demise from
grapeshot, Vane’s ouster as captain in favor of
Rackham, or the capture of De Soto – into these
folksy songs and sometimes laces them with subtle
humor. The only song that seems forced is “Jean
Lafitte.” On the other hand, “Captain William Kidd”
haunts listeners, but also makes them smile. The
tune for “Tortuga” has an Irish lilt to it.
Pirates is a wonderful introduction to
Caribbean pirates with catchy tunes that pirate
enthusiasts will soon find themselves singing. Don’t
be surprised if late one night the words and music
start playing in your head, making you dream of
piratical adventures long past.
Review Copyright ©2008 Cindy Vallar
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