Vintage tent opens in PoS

THE VINTAGE Calypso Brigade made its debut on Friday living up to its name with an offering of genuine calypso classics. Produced by Radio Trinbago 94.7, a station that plays 100 percent local music, the tent’s stellar cast of performers kept patrons in the packed car park of the radio station on Park Street fully entertained throughout the night, with several of them receiving encores. First up on the night was Regeneration Now with “Five Rules of Calypso,” “Never Hang Your Hat Where Your Hand Can’t Reach” and “Lover’s Lane.” Veteran calypsonian Power (Sonny Francois) took the stage next and had the audience singing along to “The Culture” and “Doh Let He Get Away.” He was followed by Brigo (Samuel Abraham) with “Doh Beat Mama Popo,” “Voodoo Man” and “Limbo Break.”

The Mighty Duke (Kelvin Pope), a picture of sartorial elegance delivered one of the songs that earned him his first Calypso Monarch title in 1968, “What Is Calypso,” then treated the crowd to “One Foot Vesenia,” “Questions” and “Doh Horn Meh.”  MC Relator (Willard Harris) elicited laughter from the audience when he remarked: “Duke wanted to sing all his calypsoes but we had to stop him.” Mudada (Allan Fortune) did “Mecca of Steelband,” “Write The Song And Come” and “Good Time Pioneers”, and the first half of the programme with Poser (Sylvester Lockhart) who did “Nowadays,” his 1979 Road March, “Ah Tell She” and Lord Nelson’s “Ah Going And Party Tonight.”

Following the intermission, Valentino (Emrold Phillip) sang “Whey Kaiso Gone” and his immortal “Life Is A Stage,” earning sustained applause. The MC had to beg the crowd to allow the bard to leave the stage after his encore. Funny (Donrick Williamson) added humour to the evening with “Farmer Brown,” as did Trinidad Rio (Daniel Brown) with a Melody composition, “The Whistler.” Luta (Morel Peters) sang “Kaiso Kaiso” and closing off the evening’s proceedings was the mastermind behind the tent, Brother Superior (Andrew Marcano). He gave the audience “I Want To Beat A Pan” and “Trinidad Carnival.”