What a Pappy's Show

Pelham Goddard and Roots on stage.
Pelham Goddard and Roots on stage.

GARY CARDINEZ

PAPPY’S Show held Under the Trees at the Normandie in St Ann's last Saturday provided patrons with the greatest line-up of soca music played at any function for quite some time.

The event was a collaboration between Roots and The Normandie. While the promoters would have like to see much more people Under the Trees that did not deter the band from providing sweet soca music throughout.

Tribute must be paid to Pelham Goodard and Roots which consists of Michael Chang Wing (guitar), Albert Bushe (bass), Vernon Headley (congas), Hayden Robin (trumpet), Patrick Spicer (trombone), Vonrick Maynard (drums) and Pelham Goddard (keys).

Lead singers are Moricia Cagan and Nigel O’Connor and as of Saturday night, Anslem Douglas joined the frontline.

Goddard told Newsday, “Douglas came to me looking for a band to work with him and I readily accepted. He is a writer/composer and we will need new material for the band. I think Anslem is a perfect fit.”

Cagan and O’Connor opened with songs like Meh Lover, Wanna make Love to You, I’ll be Your Friend, I am I said, Calypso Rising and Twelve Bar Joan. The Lord Kitchener classic Twelve Bar Joan had the audience rocking.

Douglas followed and had the audience singing from his very first note. The band did Sparrow’s Melda in a very slow tempo and Douglas was on point with the lyrics. He continued with Good Music, and Stick Fight before ending with the classic Lovely Day.

SuperBlue

SuperBlue came on with his trademark Hello Hello and Walking on Sunshine. His was a measured performance with songs the audience sang throughout. He did Soca Baptist, a very slow version of Ethel, Party and Swing by which time he had everybody dancing. He continued with To Love Somebody and There’s a Light before doing the phenomenal Get Something and Wave mixed with Signal to Lara. By the next morning (Sunday) he was on a airplane to New York City to do a Father’s Day show.

Oscar B then cooled things a bit with Dancing Mood, then Walk Away from Love before taking patrons back to his Byron Lee and the Dragonaires days with Tatie and Butterfly. The latter song was very interactive as patrons all tried desperately to do what Oscar called the most sexy dance for some time. He ended with a tribute to Black Stalin with Feeling To Party.

Ronnie McIntosh

The final act was Ronnie McIntosh who had the audience singing Biting Insects. His 1998 hit Happy came next, then the popular How It Go Look and On D Road.

The songs chosen for this show were well put together and it showcased how much music is in our local music.

Patrons leaving Under the Trees felt that they got one of the best locally produced shows.

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