Mr Christmas

And like the gift that keeps on giving the 82-year-old Humming Bird award winning crooner has been entertaining audiences with the gift of his dulcet voice for more than 70 years.

Sunday Newsday visited with Hutcheon at his Cascade home last week and chatted about his career, his music idol, Trini Christmas music and his planned album of duets.

He took us to his music room where he spends most of his time.

On the wall there is a large poster of his music idol, late American singer Frank Sinatra. There is also a framed photo of Sinatra on the shelf and on a long stack of CDs 65 of them are from the singer; he also has some Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole and Tony Bennett.

Hutcheon said that in a general sense Sinatra is “the greatest crooner ever lived” and has the tonal quality of no other singer.

He also pointed out his impressive breath control and ability to hold a note for eight to 10 bars. Another aspect of Sinatra that Hutcheon appreciated is his philosophy that it was the words and phrasing of a song that come first. He said it is not easy to pick a favourite song from his idol but he considers “I’m a fool to want you” to be one of his best. In terms of local singers his favourite is Marie-Angelique Cartar of the family singing group The Cartars.

For this season he performed at the Falls at West Mall, Fiesta Plaza at MovieTowne, Green Acres in Santa Cruz, St Ann’s Parish annual Christmas concert as well as private functions.

His final performance was last Sunday on television station CNMG for an event which would ostensibly replace the Carols by Candlelight concert which was held for the past 30 years. Hutcheon had performed Carols by Candlelight from 1982 to 2015 and in 2006 received an award from then President George Maxwell Richards for 24 years of participation. He reported that he was informed that the Culture Ministry deemed the event too expensive hence its cancellation this year.

“I think that’s sad. People will really miss that show,” he commented.

In 2015 he received the Humming Bird Medal - silver for culture and aside from that his most treasured award is from the Queen’s Park Cricket Council at the 125th anniversary for his long membership, which he received this year.

Iconic Christmas songs Though he has a wide repertoire Hutcheon is best known for his Christmas music and he does not mind being considered a “Christmas singer”. His favourite of his own songs is “Kiss me for Christmas”, written by Patrick Castagne who also wrote this country’s national anthem. He described it as a “tremendous song” and that it should have gone international as the lyrics apply to any country.

After his set at St Ann’s RC parish church he came off the stage and a woman accosted him “where are you going?” and told him he had to sing “Kiss me for Christmas”.

“It is very rewarding that people still like the music,” he said.

He has been told “nearly every day” that his music does not sound “local” and he is grateful for the compliment. He recalled one fan came up to him and asked if he was Kelwyn Hutcheon. When he responded in the affirmative she told him “you have a beautiful voice”. He is recognised quite regularly and people “always say nice things”.

One man told him that he is only hears his music from October to December and asked “you sing the rest of the year too?” And he does, performing for calendar events like Father’s Day and Mother’s Day but Christmas remains his busy season. His other seasonal songs include “At Christmas your heart goes home”, calypsonian Lord Melody’s “Happy holiday” and “I’ll be home for Christmas”.

Though “Kiss me for Christmas” is his personal favourite Hutcheon’s most popular with fans however is “Oh how I wish I were a child again” written by Stephen Ferreira.

“It seems to just hit people in some right spot. I don’t know.

Like it describes the way they see Christmas as being in the glory days of Trinidad and the sweet days. I think that’s what it is because it is really popular. I can’t perform unless I sing it actually.

No matter what kind of crowd it is whether upper class, middle class, lower class whatever,” he said.

And what is his favourite Christmas childhood memory? He recalled that at about age 11 or 12 his father bought him a bicycle and had hidden it under a bathrobe.

“Certain things stick in your mind. Even though it was many years ago,” he said.

With his family he still bakes the ham and they have a Christmas lunch either at his home or at his daughter’s next door. For the season he loves to drink Bailey’s and also sorrel and ginger beer. In terms of food “pastelles are traditional” and they also have an English style Christmas pudding and pigeon peas.

And how does the balladeer feel about the other types of Trini Christmas music? He is not a huge fan of traditional parang and as a crooner it is a different type of music. He said that he certainly enjoys it though he cannot sing it. For soca parang he is “not crazy about it” but there a quite a few selections he likes including Crazy’s “Yvonne”.

Asked about his most memorable performance Hutcheon said he had performed so many times but he did recall a concert in the 1990s hosted by masman Wayne Berkeley and dancer Thora Dumbell. He enjoyed the collaboration with Tricia Lee Kelshall, Wendell Constantine and Maurice Brash and performing Sinatra’s “My Funny Valentine”.

He said that he has performed at every venue in this country “worthy of mention” and has the music technology advance from huge stationary microphones to equipment that can “do anything”.

He currently uses a hand microphone and enjoys walking in between the audience.

Even after more than seven decades of performing Hutcheon still gets a “little nervousness” before going up on stage. He recalled that Sinatra in an interview with Larry King in 1988 said that for the for the first 10 seconds before they announced him he would always be nervous and that if you were not nervous something was wrong. For Hutcheon after he starts singing he would relax, adding that being relaxed and interacting with the audience.