Sing De Chorus returns

THIS quarter of the year saw history being made with Pan Trinbago electing its 17th t and first female president, Beverley Ramsey-Moore, in its 72-year history. Ramsey-Moore is leader of Tobago's Katzenjammers. It also saw the passing of several calypso icons in quick succession, and the return of Sing De Chorus after 27 years.

October

In commemoration of Calypso History Month, Sing De Chorus returned to the stage after 27 years. The highly-acclaimed calypso musical that was written by Rawle Gibbons and directed by Louis McWilliams, was a salute to calypso's golden age of the 1930s, and featured Chuck Gordon as Siparia Kid, David Bereaux as King Radio and Lil Bits as Mathilda, all backed by Marva Newton & The La Cou Kaiso Band.

Mere days after his passing, Shadow was conferred with a doctor of letters degree by the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus.

Pan Trinbago got its first female president in Beverly Ramsey-Moore.

November

The first day of work of the new Pan Trinbago administration nearly saw former executive members come to blows. Following accusations flying back and forth of misconduct in the office, past executive members had to be separated by the current executive. On the day too the subject of rent arrears was discussed.

Pan Trinbago has since moved to a new location and is now at the corner of Duke and Melbourne St.

The return of the second phase of the Live Music District assisted flood victims.

High-profile artistes like Nikki Minaj and Fay-Ann Lyons were among a number of other local entertainers who also did what they could to assist the victims.

Golden Hands Steelband celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Ola and Carib signed a two-year contract.

Napa celebrated a decade of events.

BPTT Renegades’ 70th anniversary concert was one to remember. It featured all genres of music played on pan and a number of well-known artistes, among them, Tobago-based international vocalist Sharon Phillips, saxophonist Francis Prime, guitarist Dean Williams, vocalists Myron B, Oscar B, Samuel Thomas Jnr, Kevan Calliste and Troyann Nester, the Shiv Shakti Dancers, Malick Folk Performing Company, Noble Douglas’ Lilliput Children’s Theatre and BPTT Renegades senior and youth steel orchestras. Spectacular performances were the order of the night.

MHTL committed itself to sponsor Starlift Steel Orchestra for another three years.

Team TT was successful at the All Dance International World Championship in Orlando, Florida, USA, with Cheyenne Carrington-Green placing second in the neo-classical solo. Team TT group of 18 dancers first in Lyrical Dance Competition, and Keanu Mohammed and Anna Maria de Freitas, won the Contemporary Dance Duet competition with a dance that was choreographed by Mohammed himself.

December

Ysabel Bisnath represented TT at the Miss World competition

The remake of a 20-year-old song composed by David Rudder, by a Guatemalan singer and a US musician, was named one of the best of 2018 by the New York Times. Rudder wrote the song, The Immigrants, after New York Police attacked Haitian immigrant Abner Louima in Brooklyn in 1997.

Steelbands received payment totalling over $12 million as 20 small, medium and conventional steelbands were awarded for their success in the finals of this year’s Panorama competition. And while the money was long in coming, Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore could not say when the players will receive their remittances. She urged them to keep the faith.

Jazz

This year’s Jazz Artists on the Greens featured young, upcoming musicians like composer and arranger Adan Hagley, Jeanine Ruiz and the J9Quartet, while Jazz Under the Stars at Green Meadows featured Arturo Tappin, Elan Parle, Nishard "Nishard M" Mayrhoo, Neval Chatelal, Nigel Rojas, of Orange Sky, The Good Vibez Band, and Samuel Thomas as well as the Moore Music Productions family.

Tobago Jazz Experience, though severely cut down got the thumbs up from patrons, but the North Coast Jazz that highlighted all local acts did not match up to last year’s fantastic inaugural show.

The return of Pan Jazz to WeBeat was a treat to the St James community while Seaside Pan Jazz was a jazz lovers treat that featured young pannist Luke Walker, accompanied by keyboardist Michael “Ming” Low Chew Tung, Roots with Boyce (saxophone) Javen Ochoa (guitar); Keshorn Jack (bass), Vonrick Maynard (drums) and Pelham Goddard (keyboard), then a set with Dane Gulston and Vaughnette Bigford backed by guitarist Theron Shaw, saxophonist Anthony Paul, keyboardists Goddard and Ming, drummers Maynard and Carlon Alexander, and percussionist Tamba Gwinde.

Jazz in de (Invaders) Yard, new to the jazz calender attracted jazz lovers as did We Kinda Jazz, Christmas edition that featured Charmaine Ford.

Play

Among the plays released this year were Aida, Love is Trouble (Picoplat), Calypso Girls Coming To Town (the Baggasse Co), The Mating Game (Raymond Choo Kong), Love, Sweat and Basmati Rice (Caricomedy), Salt (Earl Lovelace), The Ford (Narad Mahabir), Asylum (Rhesa Asylum) and from RS/RR Productions, Boy Toy, Naughty Minister and Mind Yuh Business.

Films

The Take One Feature Film Grant of $250,000 was an initiative led by the culture ministry in association with the New World Film Centre (NWFC).

TTFF founder Bruce Paddington hopes the new TTT will licence TTFF films, series.

Some nine feature-length films from the Caribbean, 14 feature-length films from world cinema and 79 short and medium-length films from the Caribbean were screened in celebration of Caribbean films and Caribbean film-makers at the TTFF.

OBITUARIES

Gregory Mills - Designer

John Agitation (Ramdeen Ramjattan), comedian, 90, Feb 5

Molly Ahye, dancer and teacher, 84, April 20

June Gonsalves, radio and television personality, Aug 10

Sir Vidia Naipaul, Nobel Laureate, 85, Aug 11

Elliot “Ellie” Mannette, pan pioneer, 90, Aug 28

Vihay Seukeran, radio announcer “The golden voice”, 71, Sept 2

Andre Alexander, photographer, 63, Sept 5

Calvin French, fashion photographer, 69, Sept 20

Ken “Professor” Philmore, pannist, 59, Sept 30

Ian Gooding, former journalist, 76, Oct 19

Winston “Shadow” Bailey, calypsonian, 77, Oct 23

Winston Scarborough, De Original De Fosto Himself, calypsonian, 64, Nov 2

Andrew “Superior” Marcano, calypsonian, 81, Nov 24

Fred “Composer” Mitchell, calypsonian, 83, Dec 5

Cleve Calderon, music store owner, 72, Dec 7