‘Sprang’ immortalised with street sign

A STREET in San Fernando has been named in honour of beloved veteran comedian and producer Dennis “Sprangalang” Hall who died a little over a month ago.

The street located near the entrance of Skinner Park off Park Street, is now the Dennis “Sprangalang” Hall Street. Hall died on October 2 at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope. The street sign was unveiled on Wednesday by San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello.

Present for the unveiling were Hall’s widow Natasha Nurse, councillors, radio personalities, former government minister Joan Yuille-Williams and comedienne Rachel Price. Regrello said Hall was TT’s social mirror as he pointed out all of the good and bad things about the country.

“A beacon and exemplar in his cultural will, he leaves enormous shoes to fill for those who would walk his path and be reminded that they will have to watch their content. Today, the San Fernando City Corporation is honouring him by renaming a street after him, for his immense contribution to our city,” Regrello said.

Nurse who is also a calypsonian said that the honour was a bitter-sweet moment for her as she is still hurting over his passing but is very happy that his name, memory and legacy remains intact. She wished he could be alive to witness such a special occasion. “He truly deserved this and I appreciate this,” she said.

Nurse said her husband’s goal was to market TT’s culture. “He wanted to see things happen with culture. He used to collect calypso. He wanted to market these products for the younger generation,” Nurse said.

Price described Hall as her mentor and added that the local entertainment industry was now missing something that cannot easily be replaced. She said Hall embodied the art of storytelling in a humorous form.

Several people who contributed to culture and arts were also awarded during a brief ceremony at San Fernando City Hall. Recipients included WACK 90.1 FM radio station founder Kenny Phillips, John Hoyte, former San Fernando deputy mayor Torrance Mohammed, founder of the Oratory Foundation Deborah Jean Baptiste while musician Peter Lockhart accepted an award on behalf of deceased former musical director of the Southernaires choir Joy Caesar.