Cooling down with Rudder

Opening for Rudder was Keithson Cruickshank who began with Eddie Lovette’s version of Gypsy, then followed it with Rete, a French Caribbean number, before returning home for a classic Kalyan hit, Can You Love Me.

Ironically, the singer admitted he was too young when the song was released but as he started to sing, most of the audience was singing along with him.

Cruickshank’s next selection was one with an Asian flavour, Rasheeda, which he followed with Mr C, a reggae number, and Aye, an African song.

He continued to mix his tracks, delivering Baron’s Doh Rock It So, Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere and Marvay’s Know the Face before closing with Michael Jackson’s Human Nature.

At 2 pm, the man whom the 85-per-cent female crowd had been waiting for came on to welcoming applause, to entertain for an hour and 40 minutes.

Backed by Kenneth Baptiste on keyboard, Barry Howard on drums, Albert Bushe on bass and his musical director Wayne Bruno on guitar, Rudder began with It Doesn’t Get Too Much Better Than This.

The audience agreed and immediately got into the music by singing and dancing.

Because of the “niceness” that pervaded the event, Rudder called on a young drummer from Cuba, Javier, to join the band, which he did, even soloing when asked to by Rudder during his singing of Calypso Music.

He followed with Trini to the Bone and after singing Sweet, Sweet TT , the last line of the song, he quipped: “That was TT 14 years ago.

Welcome to Trinidad!” and that prompted to band to begin his 2017 offering of the same name.

Rudder continued with Long Time Band and Nuff Respect, which by this time had the audience all around the caf?. The slowing of the pace and lowering of the music proved very effective, and he connected with the crowd more than usual.

Rudder then started toying with the crowd, saying, “If you talk to half the men in Trinidad they had the experience.” He then sang Tuesday Night Lover, about a young man having the time of his life with a woman and sure they both felt the same way. However, the following day, Ash Wednesday, he got a rude awakening when he saw the same lady in the bank, who pretended not to recognise him.

Rudder’s delivery had the audience in stitches and the men reminiscing about similar experiences.

He then raised the tempo and sang Song for a Lonely Soul, but obliged the audience’s request for Mad Man’s Rant, sung with the same passion with which he first sang it.

To the opening bars of The Hammer, Rudder opined that this year’s Panorama had been one of the best in years, then sang: “Hold dem and rock dem/ Trinidad, good morning, show meh how yuh does jump up....All Stars get away,” he said with a grin – then launched into his finale, comprising The Hammer, Dus in Dey Face and Madness, after which he closed with High Mas.

Patrons left in high spirits and vowed to return, should there be a repeat.