Rudder pays tribute to Choo Kong

GARY CARDINEZ

Vintage Royal, featuring David Rudder and Relator (Willard Harris), at Kaiso Blues Cafe on August 22, proved one of the best shows during the Carifesta XIV. While it was not an official event, it was on the fringe of the massive festival, and fun-loving Trinis enjoyed every moment.

Relator was backed by Earl Biter Edwards on a goatskin conga and Douglas Redon on upright bass. From the first strum of his guitar Relator engaged the audience and together they sang Bring Them Back. When he moved into his classic Gavaskar, the entire audience was singing the chorus.

With a smile on his face, Relator continued with the award-winning 1980 composition Food Prices, which the audience sang throughout. He followed this up with Eating Competition before he introduced Rudder.

After he acknowledged his audience, Rudder sat behind another goatskin conga alongside Edwards and together the quartet performed Trini to the Bone, lavway style. They continued with Hammer and again the entire audience was singing.

The event turned into a "big people party" with people singing and dancing as Rudder started Bahia Girl.

He then introduced Barbados-born touring jazz musician Elan Trotman. With saxophone in hand, Trotman took to the stage as the 1986 triple crown winner cooled off the audience with a slow version of Nuff Respect, followed by Welcome to Trinidad and High Mas. During High Mas there was a call and response between voice and instruments, and Trotman excelled when he played.

Rudder showed his versatility as he merged Kitchener’s Rainorama and Love in the Cemetery to the music. He continued with Sparrow’s Ten to One, Melda, No Money No Love and Saltfish, as well as Blakie’s Steelband Clash, for which sound engineer Robin Foster came on stage to help with the lyrics.

Relator then asked Rudder to do Memories for theatre icon Raymond Choo Kong and radio announcer Justin Dookhi, who both died recently. He mixed the lyrics of Sparrow’s Education with those of Memories, to the delight of the audience.

As Rudder announced the end of his performance, the audience replied, “One more,” and called for Madness, Calypso Music and Long Time Band. The 1988 Artiste of the Year performed Madness, the song for which he won that title.

The humble Rudder also performed the other two songs as requested.