Brian's victory for mom

His wheelchair-bound mother has been the driving force behind calypsonian Brian London’s success. The “marathon man” wanted to become an athlete but mother Udine, who has been in a wheelchair for the last 20 years, wanted her “baby” to sing calypsos. “Had it not been for her I would not have chosen to sing calypsos. I wanted to become an established athlete, but she wanted me to sing and I had to make her happy. Therefore, the trophies really belong to her,” Brian said, cuddling his mother in a touching moment at their humble home on a hill at Khan Street, Fyzabad. The consistent marathon runner has been  dubbed the fastest in his hometown of Fyzabad, and has trophies to show for his endurance. Calypso success is not new to Brian who has been singing for the past 20 years and has a collection of trophies through the years to tell the story. He credits his success as a singer and runner to mother Udine.

This year he earned three calypso titles: Young King, South Calypso Monarch and T&TEC Monarch and placed second in the National Monarch with  “Winning Back the Nation” and “We Free.” It is clear that Brian’s humble upbringing has a lot to do with his quest for success.  He was brought up in poverty having lost his father, Cephas, when he was just two years old. Soon after his father’s death his mother lost her ability to walk. Young Brian and his seven siblings had to survive on public assistance and handouts from the Pentecostal Church where his mother is a senior member. “Having to survive on little money taught me to value everything around me. I trained hard at running and that brought me enormous success. I have been able to win more than 40 races thus far. Then as a calypsonian, I began winning trophies at the regional and national level,” he said. In sports he repeatedly copped the winning trophy for the Southern National Games, Butler 10K, T&TEC Marathon and many other sporting events. In football he was awarded the Most Valuable Player in the Petrotrin League in 1993.

Another big trophy in his room came from the National Youth Action Committee for winning their calypso competition in 2002. He remained the calypso monarch of Fyzabad Composite School for three years. The most valued award for Brian, however, is a certificate he received from the Fyzabad Youth’s, recognising his ability to compose good calypsos. Brian started singing at age seven, when his mother encouraged him to participate in  a class concert. “I cried a lot. I remember begging my mother not to let me go on stage but she encouraged me to be brave and sing. Today I am happy that I did try to sing,” he said. He gained confidence with every performance making it to the big stage this year. More than this, he has made his mother very proud.

Udine was a calypsonian herself. She was  a resident singer for the Southern Brigade tent for many years, before she got ill. Although she is unable to walk she has been managing her home like a true heroine. “Brian knows I am praying for him all the time. I count the moments when he will come home from school and how long he stays on the recreation ground. I am so close to him and all my other children that I could tell when things are getting out of hand and I would be harsh with them until I see change,” she said. While many parents are concerned about their children getting involved in drugs, crime and fights, Udine knows her children and they in turn know that she is waiting patiently for some news of success. She is a dedicated mother whose only agenda was to look after her home and children. She monitors everything that goes on with them. Whenever Brain enters a competitive stage, she would be praying for his success.  

The song, “Win Back We Nation” calls on citizens to assist in restoring the country. “With the present state of crime and cruelty, we must all pitch in and do something to restore the nation,” he said. He noted that it is not just up to the government or the Police Service but also the people in the villages and towns who should unite in the fight against crime and other negatives. Commenting on the various compositions that he has heard this year, he said that there are lots of good songs. He noted that the soca artistes should really sing about the topic that can sell the country abroad. “Carnival is about showcasing the arts in the country and we must really talk about the beauty of Carnival in our soca songs,” he said. Brian thanked the management and staff of T&TEC for giving him the support that he needed for this year’s Carnival and in particular, assistant manager, Israfill Ali for the encouragement and support this year.