Endless vibrations

Shorty I was ever present during the show.
Shorty I was ever present during the show.

Gary Cardinez

ENDLESS vibrations emanated from the audience at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s on Sunday evening as sweet music filled the air at The UWI Classic Concert, The Journey –from Lord Shorty to Ras Shorty I. The concert featured the family and friends of the man considered the father of soca music, Garfield Blackman.

It was an unforgettable evening of music as Shorty I’s children performed his songs, each telling the audience it was an honour and privilege to perform their father’s music. The audience too sang along all evening to the popular and controversial songs from Shorty I’s wealth of music such as Indrani, The Art of Making Love and Money eh no Problem.

Nehilet BlackmanShorty I was ever present as his photograph appeared in the background as each performer sang.

Musical history was also revealed by some of the guest artistes as they came onstage to perform and related how the musician impacted their lives.

An emotional Gypsy delivers a song in honour of his friend Ras Shorty I at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s on Sunday..

For instance, an emotional Winston “Gypsy” Peters debuted a song called Goodbye Garfield, one he wrote the day Shorty I died but had never sung for anyone. (Shorty died on July 12, 2000). Rikki Jai told the audience he had a life-changing experience when Shorty came to Naparima College in San Fernando in 1979. That is when he knew he wanted to be a musician. It took some doing for him to convince his father but eventually he did. Jai also said it took a calypsonian using Indian melodies to create something new for TT. He saluted a photograph of Shorty I as he left the stage after singing Shorty I’s Indrani and his own Sumintra. Indrani was the then Lord Shorty’s controversial but groundbreaking experiment with mixing of Indian with calypso/African rhythms giving birth to what is now called soca. He would go on to record others songs in that genre such as the also controversial Om Shanti Om.

Isaac Blackman and Neval Chatelal.

Explainer stopped the flow of the show when he came on stage to do Soca Fever and Lorraine. He said Shorty believed in him and was the man who secured a place for him in a calypso tent when he started.

As the band went into Soca Fever he stopped the music and performed Zina acapella, which the audience did not readily accept. But he made a big comeback when he started his classic Lorraine and the entire audience sang along with him.

Rikki Jai

Highlights of the evening included Isaac Blackman and Neval Chatelal’s performance of Om Shanti Om which brought roars of approval from the enthusastic audience. Chatelal’s nuanced performance of the song’s Hindi input and Isaac’s riveting delivery presented one of most quintessential experience of the concert.

Nehilet Blackman’s powerful and passionate performance of Hold Me Jesus and her personal favourite among her father’s catalogue, Sweet Music, took the show to another dimension. She revealed she is the third-to-last of 23 siblings and hearing her father perform Sweet Music impacted her.  Also delightful was Madge Blackman’s opening the show with Jamoo, and Isaac’s performance of Who God bless, Push The Creator Out and Money eh no Problem.

Abbi Blackman’s performance of Endless Vibrations, Shorty I’s first soca song, solicited a roar from the audience.

Other guests included Rembunction (Art of Making Love, Soul Calypso), UWI Dance Ensemble (Sing Anything) and Kevon Thomas (When will it Come). The finale was the classic Watch Out My Children for which all the artistes came out and performed as the entire audience, including several Government ministers, held hands, stood up and sang along.

The song was also performed in the various languages into which it was translated when it was adopted by the UN in an anti-cocaine campaign which focused on the dangers of drug abuse.

Kudos must also go to the band of musicians, led by director Samuel Jack and made up of students of The UWI Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA).

Proceeds from the event will be donated to the DCFA’s theatre hall fund.

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