CDs that gladden my spirit

THE EDITOR: It has been fairly widely acknowledged that Trinidad and Tobago does not have very much upon which we can reflect with satisfaction and pride for the year just past. 2003 was a year of uncertainty, a tremendous upsurge in murders and crime and violence generally. The Govern-ment appears unable to deal with the situation. For all of 2003 we talked uselessly about constitutional reform wasting sweet words on the desert air. Few seem to realise that our constitutional problems will only be fixed when we move away from electing governments on the basis of ethnicity. Amidst all the uncertainty, fear and apparent hopelessness two events, similar in nature, occurred which gladdened my spirit and gave me hope for the future possibilities of this country. Firstly, earlier in the year there was the launching of the Reid, Wright and be Happy CD and then at the end of the year there was the launching of Robert Greenidge’s CD From the Heart produced by Ralph McDonald.

The two CDs are exceptional pieces of creativity and style and demonstrate hard work and dedication to the task by those responsible for them. Robert Greenidge is a pannist, musician and composer extraordinaire, and his CD produced by internationally famed three time Grammy award winning percussionist Ralph McDonald, himself a person with strong Trinidadian and Tobagonian roots and ties, is a masterpiece worthy to stand alongside and even above any music anywhere. I invite you to listen to track one “If I Never See You Again,” track two “From the Heart” and track ten “Paradise Garden” — all composed by Robert Greenidge. The CD is pan and calypso rhythm as refined and as internationally palatable as you can ever get. The Reid, Wright and be Happy CD is subtitled pan-jazz from Trinidad and Tobago. But it is more than that. It is also calypso and it celebrates Trinidad and Tobago composers like Ray Holman, Andre Tanker, Kitchener and Ian Wiltshire, composer of “Trini to the Bone.”

It also celebrates the work of Trinidad and Tobago musicians and composers David “Happy” Williams, Ron Reid and Orville Wright, all internationally known and respected. It even has the traditional calypso piece “Madame Blondell” from the John Buddy Williams era. All the music is expertly played, of a standard that compares more than favourably with the best. I particularly like the melody of Happy Williams’ “Happy’s Story” on track one and his acoustic bass soloing on “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” on track ten. These are two CDs that any music loving Trinidadian and Tobagonian should have in his or her collection. Amidst all the negativity, uncertainty, and hopelessness of 2003 the native sons who were responsible for this music have shown us what it really means to be “world class.” Those responsible for the destiny of this country should take example from the productivity, creativity and efforts of these gentlemen and try to follow suit. Perhaps then, we may see a 2004 that will be better than what went down in 2003.

Anthony Isidore Smart
Port-of-Spain