Rose: Bringing ‘Home’ closer to the world

Rose McCartha Linda Sandy Lewis aka Calypso Rose’s electrifying performance at the Solidays Festival in Paris, France, has gained her rave reviews, notably among them, from the UK’s Guardian newspaper. The Solidays Festival, an annual solidarity in Longchamp Racecourse in France, was held from June 24 to 26.

If Lewis proves nothing more, she proves, that age is just a number.

The 76-year-old’s latest album, Far From Home, with its blend of calypso, soca and even reggae was described by Peter Culshaw in his July 21 article entitled “Calypso Rose: I am Fighting for everyone, regardless of sex” as, “Tobago-born Calypso Rose is having a purple patch.” Culshaw notes in his piece about the festival which, “Off stage she looks a little frail. She is helped onstage by a couple of assistants, but once there it’s as though she has been plugged directly into a power source. At the Solidays Festival, in Paris , she electrifies the crowd, too. At the end of a blistering set, the delirious audience continues chanting her name for an age after she finishes.” Lewis also performed at the MIDEM 50 anniversary party on June 4 At Carlton Beach, Cannes France. In a release about Far from Home it was noted that, “So far the album (released on 27 May) started [at] number nine on iTunes France (all genres) and number one in World music.

The three singles “Calypso Queen”, “Abatina” and “Leave me Alone” are top 100 all genres and 1,2 ,3 in World music” The 12-track album was also favourably reviewed by the UK paper. It received four out of five stars after its release earlier this year the paper said in its July 10 review by Neil Spencer: “At 76, Trinidad and Tobago’s reigning queen of calypso should be on cruise control. Instead, she dazzlingly updates the genre she has dominated for a half a century while restating her sassy, feminist persona.

“The key to the transformation is a collaborative trio of producer Ivan Duran, Toronto’s Drew Gonsalves (plus his band Kobo Town) and the ever mercurial Manu Chao, who between them penned most of what Rose delivers with such relish. The rhythms slip between carnival jump-up – ‘Zoom Zoom Zoom’; reggae – ‘Far from Home’ and skipping chaoesque pieces such as ‘Love Me or Leave Me’. Kobo Town’s rippling brass section blows beautifully, Rose sings pan-cultural calls for justice, while an old hit reminds us that, as ever, ‘Woman Smarter’.” If any more proof is needed of the rollicking success of Lewis’ album, one only needs to look at a July 3 YouTube video which shows Lewis performing at the Solidays Festival. The packed crowd chanting and screaming as she sings “Abatina Oh”. The DJ hypes the crowd up with them chanting Calypso Rose, repeatedly before she makes her entrance on stage. When the almost zouk-like strains of music floats into the crowd, heads bob and weave dancing infectiously to “Abatina”.

The album was co-produced by French-born musician of Spanish-origin Manu Chao and released on the independent record label, Because Records. The single, “Abatina”, has garnered 207, 480 views on YouTube since its March 29 publication. The other single “Leave Me Alone” featuring Chao; with its blend of calypso, soca and EDM, has gained thousands of views on YouTube. The single, at the time of writing, had 81,017 views with 302 likes.

In Culshaw’s article he noted that, “If Chao opened some doors for her, Rose’s story is what has seized the imagination.” Heart attacks, a battle with cancer and being a septuagenarian are hardly impediments to an artist who is living part of the history of her art. Age and time are unlikely to stop Lewis, as she was quoted as saying, “Determination is my right hand.

Anything I wanted to do, no one could stop me. I might have bad arthritis, but if I want to walk, no one will stop me.”