I dedicated the weekend past to parang and the music of Christmas so I never made it to any steelband event, including Saturday’s Pan in De Countryside at Koskeros panyard in Rio Claro.
On Saturday, Catholic Media Services Limited (Camsel) hosted a wonderful show Under the Trees at The Normandie, St Ann’s. Held under clear skies, it was the fifth edition of Parang in the City and it was attended by a large turnout.
Hosted by Peter Kelly, the programme was opened by Sacred Heart Girls, defending champion of the Primary Schools Parang Competition and recent Sanfest winner. They were remarkable, especially lead vocalist Asia McEachine-Assing and eight-year-old violinist Clarisse Lee Sing.
They were followed by the equally impressive Los Amigos en Musica, a parang group comprising visually-impaired artistes, performing together for the past 21 years. Los Parranderos de UWI, also a parang group with history and pedigree, celebrating its 35th year of performing, woke up the laid-back audience, especially its energetic marac player.
Voces Jovenes also performed a lively set, rounding off its performance with Baron’s Spanish Woman. Coming all the way from San Fernando, Fuego Caribueno took the evening’s music and entertainment even higher, led by Venezuelan vocalist Iruys Juarez. She also displayed her virtuoso by mastering the mandolin and got patrons to leave their seats to come up front and dance.
Queen of parang soca Marcia Miranda, also recent winner of the Cott Parang Soca Song of the Year award, sang over recorded tracks and was followed by multiple National Parang champion Los Alumnos de San Juan.
Saturday’s show was a tremendous success, fuelled by good music, a good sound system, good Christmas food (complete with black cake) and entertaining hosting by Kelly. Deserving full marks for pulling it all together were Camsel manager Lucille Nathu and stage manager Ronnie Joseph.
There was more sweet parang music on Sunday evening when caterer Dune Ali teamed up with CAL Invaders Steel Orchestra to stage another edition of Pan, Parang & Pork, staged at St John’s Hall, on Fitzblackman Drive, Port-of-Spain. With catering by Ali’s Rib House, patrons were satisfied with sumptuous servings of pork in every imaginable manner, including jerk, roast, barbecue, souse, geera, ham and a delicious cassava oildown with pigtail.
As if that wasn’t enough, at the end patrons received a Christmas dinner complete with ham, pastelle and rice and fresh pigeon peas. The music side of the evening was also over the top with performances by Invaders’ youth and senior bands, Natasha Babwah, Marcia Miranda and Los Alumnos de San Juan.
During the Invaders senior band set, Toni Williams received a rousing ovation when she rendered O Holy Night. Other vocalists for Silver Bells were Anthony Phillip, Atiya O’Neil and Claude Griffith. The junior band also impressed and, for its set, presented vocalists Joshua Lewis, song of artiste Peter C Lewis, and Rashaun Williams, son of Invaders quad pan player Desiree Myers.
Invaders certainly proved that any form of music can be played on the national instrument.
Calypso Stars of Gold
Having chosen 40 of the top calypsoes for 2015, the National Action Cultural Committee (NACC) has whittled down the field to 20 for its 28th annual Top 20 Stars of Gold and Calypso of the Year ceremony. Scheduled for today at 8 pm, at Central Bank Auditorium in Port-of-Spain, the event will feature musical accompaniment by Earl Knight & The Top 20 Orchestra. Minister of Community Development, Culture & The Arts Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has been invited to attend.
The toss-up for Calypso of the Year promises to be a keenly contested one as it includes I Believe, the calypso which won Roderick “Chuck Gordon” Gordon this year’s National Calypso Calypso Monarch title; Like ah Boss, the smash hit of International Power Soca Monarch and Road March champion Machel Montano; and Ola, which gave Olatunji Yearwood the 2015 International Goovy Soca title and the COTT Song of the Year. Also in the fray in both categories are Lucy (Destra Garcia) and My House (Farmer Nappy.
Top 20 Calypso Stars of Gold 2015:
Ah Gone—Heather Mac Intosh
Child of Liberty—Ife Alleyne
Citizen’s Pride—Duane O’Connor
Dis is My Life—Arnold Jordan
Equality—Ezekiel Yorke
Every Knee Shall Bow—Karene Asche
I Believe—Roderick Gordon
King #2—Kurt Allen
Like ah Boss—Machel Montano
Lucy—Destra Garcia
My House—Farmer Nappy (Darryl Henry)
My Humble Plea—Devon Seale
Ola—Olatunji Yearwood
Peace Seeker—Sean Daniel
Stalwart—Helon Francis
The Essence of Building—Sasha Ann Moses
Unquestionable—Sheldon Reid
What Maestro Say is True—All Rounder (Anthony Hendrickson)
What You Wiling to Die Fow—Tigress (Joanne Rowley)
Wishful—Brian London
SuperBlue for Dimanche Gras
After 23 years, SuperBlue is making a bid for Dimanche Gras again. On the weekend he said: “Soca Monarch and Road March are fine but the National Calypso Monarch finals is really the most prestigious calypso competition on the planet and just being in the final is an achievement for any calypsonian.”
SuperBlue has previously won both the Soca Monarch and Road March titles but the national calypso crown has evaded him through his 36-year career. The song he hopes that will get him to the Queen’s Park Savannah on Carnival Sunday night is We Calypso, a song which honours icons in calypso like Roaring Lion, Atillah the Hun, Spoiler, Sparrow and Black Stalin. Very musical and beautifully arranged, the ditty is packed with good lyrics and celebrates calypso as “the mother of Caribbean music.”
The semi-final of the 2016 National Calypso Monarch competition will held on Saturday, January 30, at Skinner Park, San Fernando, at 11 am, and the final is scheduled for Dimanche Gras on Sunday, February 7.
Myron B swears off alcohol for Christmas
The Incredible Myron B (IMB) has sworn off all alcohol for Christmas 2015 with his new release No Hard Liquor. The five-time Humorous Calypso Monarch recounts, in song, a series of unfortunate events that occurred last Christmas, as result of his drinking shenanigans with Parang Soca contemporaries Kenny J, Fireball and Crazy.
IMB, real name Myron Bruce, details the visits to the homes of the three that all spectacularly end in his embarrassment on the self-penned, self-produced track. “I try to walk but one foot start kicking the other/ Ah trip and fall and da is wha cause a disaster/Ah pull down the curtain, lick down the tree/Mash up the gifts people bring for he/ Now he upset and ah feeling shame/So today pardna, I only drinking Smalta,” he sings.
Myron B has had a massive influence on the sound of Christmas over the past decade with his colourful storytelling, festive mandarin strums and sing-along hooks. The Maraval-based artiste says it has been an incredible journey to this point—one he never takes for granted.
“It’s amazing to look back and see your musical growth captured and documented; and, most importantly, the impact my music has had on people. As an artiste that’s the ultimate, when you can bring joy to the lives of people. It’s humbling and my only wish is to be able to continue doing so for years to come,” said Bruce.