Tribute to Devon Matthews

Like the death of any young person, the tragedy of Matthews’ passing is in the broken promise that his life would have become.

According to the calypso sung by Explainer (Winston Henry), no one can tell “when Basil comes” or that Basil should go back whence he came.

It does not mean that we should not be upset, that we don’t have to mourn and that we should not look to what might have been, that we should not rage.

The late Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, which says in part: Though wise men at their end know dark is right,/ Because their words had forked no lightning they/ Do not go gentle into that good night.

We may lament and mourn at the end of this young man’s life but I know that he has left us with a legacy for the future.

I first knew of Matthews when he sang at the 27th Annual Young Kings Calypso Monarch Competition at the Lord Kitchener Auditorium, NAPA, in February 2011. His calypso was My Story of Calypso.

I have found a verse and chorus of the lyrics in one of the daily newspapers: Calypso start before I born/ So I can’t say how it start/ All I could say is what went on/ From what I know in my heart/ I remember how long ago/ I began to recognise bards like Kitchener and Sparrow/ As heroes in disguise/ When I heard them on the radio/ I would turn up the volume/ And the strains of sweet calypso/ Would vibrate inside my room.

Chorus: I used to long for Carnival/ To hear the new calypsoes/ As the world’s greatest bacchanal/ The air was filled with echoes/ From calypsonians like Spoiler/ The Young Killer and Christo/ Lord Melody and Yul Bryner/ From town to San Fernando/ The streets would vibrate with tempo/ And everyone would leggo/ So I want the whole world to know/ That is my story of calypso.

If My Story of Calypso indicated his deep attachment to calypso, this year his collaboration with Ella Andall, D’ Journey, took his commitment into another dimension. The work with the iconic singer granted Matthews third place at both the Young Kings Calypso Monarch and the International Soca Monarch competitions.

The sentiment resonating behind Andall’s opening chant, Ring the bell, ring the bell (Go in the river, Go in the river, Go in the river) and their following duet, The road is long, No matter what come I know I go make it, Even though the road is long, no matter what come I know I go make it.

Yes, I go make it, established the appeal of the calypso.

The calypso served to further illustrate the African’s spirituality which comes in secular song and dance as well as in the sacred music of Orisha devotees and the Spiritual Baptists.

Devon sang about the hardship which has been felt by many people in this country as well as the hope that the future will be better: Remember D days of toting water,/ Anytime that you have to bathe/ Or when people pass and they see you/ Oh my lord, use to feel real shame./ Wondering if this last forever/ Wondering when you will feel proud/ There is one thing daddy did tell meh/ There is sunrise after each cloud.

And he turns to catching the power, invoking the presence of the spirits who have sustained his and our African forebears for centuries: I right here but I catching the power./ Feeling the bass but I catching the power/ Don/t know what to do but I catching the power./ It is a spiritual feeling but I catching the power/ Tripping in the road but I catching the power.

His passing is a loss, but we have gained from a legacy he left in this calypso. May he rest in peace. The journey now start.

AIYEGORO OME Mt Lambert