Celebration time

PATRONS attending the weekly calypso show at the Mas Camp Pub were dancing and singing until 12.45 am. Something not seen for quite some time. Last Wednesday’s show featured Brother Valentino, Black Stalin, Eunice Peters Gary Cordner and Dyno. Patrons had reasons to celebrate since it was birthday night for Valentino who turned 63 and Gary Cordner and his wife celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Things got to a pitch at 11.45 am when Carlyse “Juiceman” Roberts played the first chord in Stalin’s “Bun Dem”. The entire audience started singing even before Stalin got on stage. The dancing and singing continued as the “black man” continued with “Dorothy”, “Sufferers”, “Martin Luther”, “Portrait of Trinidad” and “Wine Dhanraj Wine/Sundar”.

At this point patrons started requesting various songs and backed by the core of Roy Cape All Stars and Cummings and The Wailers, Stalin gave a command performance with  “We Can Make It If We Try”, “Caribbean Man”, “Come With It” and the classic “Feeling To Party”. The action did not start with Stalin  nor when Valentino kicked off at 10.50 p.m, the audience got into the act singing “Happy Birthday” for Valentino. That was the turning point in the show. Valentino started out with “Trinidad is a Paradise”, then paid tribute to Merchant with “Umbaya Yo” after which he appeared to be in a “jolly” mood. He went on to do “Where Calypso Reach”, “Stay Up Zimbabwe”, and the classic “Life Is A Stage”. Valentino was presented with a birthday cake by his son Ade. Before these two kings performed patrons enjoyed Gary Cordner who also had reason to celebrate, Eunice Peters and Dyno.