Rose: Teach culture in school

She made the call yesterday at a ‘Business of Calypso Workshop’ at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Portof- Spain. She explained that she did not want to make music for her own island alone but other islands.

She recalled advising Jamaican musician Byron Lee to introduce Carnival in Jamaica and introducing Carnival to Belize herself.

“So I kept the flame burning.

Trinidad and Tobago is the land of steelband and calypso. I showed the world calypso will never die,” Rose said. Recently she became this country’s first ever artiste to win the French version of the Grammy’s -- the Victoires de la Musique -- after her platinum selling album Far From Home, was voted Album of the Year.

Asked if she ever saw herself becoming as big as she has Rose responded, “yes”, saying you can get anything in life once you build faith and hope and say that you will. She spoke of being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and having a relapse in 2008. The second time she lost four pints of blood and her lungs collapsed.

“So I am here for a reason and a purpose. The reason and purpose is to breathe life into pan and calypso,” Rose said. She told the gathering that she will keep on singing until the Lord says, “it’s time.” Rose recalled flying on Air France returning home and hearing songs from her album Far From Home and crying when she heard a line about Mount Irvine Bay, remembering it was the place where her father would bring in fish to feed the village.

Her manager Jean Michel Gibert said the strategy of the music industry worldwide is that music is supported by a country. He stressed that if this country wants to play in the international game then there must be a level playing field and support provided.

He thanked MusicTT and the Trade and Industry Ministry for providing support in having the workshop.