Can you hear a distant aria?

AS TOLD TO BC PIRES

My name is Anne Fridal and, as a dramatic soprano, I was the first person to sing calypsoes as though they were operatic arias.

It absolutely doesn’t bother me if people mispronounce my last name.

It’s actually quite exotic when they do.

I was born in the city of San Fernando and lived surrounded by many cousins, aunts, uncles and friend until age 11, when I was sent by my father to attend St Mary’s Hall, a prestigious boarding school in Brighton. The school was bought over by the elite Roedean School, of which, years after, I became an alumna.

Due to my career, I live in England at present. I travel regularly to perform worldwide.

I loved my school and friends. (Being in Brighton) gave me a sense of independence, preparing me for my adult life and career. It was not traumatising at all. I went with my English school friends (to) their various homes on exeat (temporary absence from school) weekends or half-term.

Even though I missed my parents at times, I always spent the long summer holidays in Trinidad, where I would entice my father’s driver to pick up my Trinidadian friends and take them to the beach in my father’s Mercedes Benz while he was at work.

We four siblings, very much alive, two in the UK, two in the USA, had the loveliest and most caring parents in the world in Austin and Marjorie Pearl Fridal.

Unfortunately they have passed on. But they were very supportive in me having a career in opera.

I would have loved to have a family of my own along with kids, but with a career on the stage, it seemed impossible to achieve.

Besides, I believe in the sanctity of marriage and would want none other than Prince Charming to be the father of my children.

In the early 50s, my father returned from Derby Technical College in England and started Fridal & Mitchell Construction Works Ltd, that built the original waving gallery airport at Piarco. On the tender handed down by Dr Eric Williams. No nepotism in those days! Both Eric Williams and my father studied with Mr John Joseph Mitchell, headmaster of Tranquillity Boys, before going off to Queen’s Royal College.

Mitchell was the mentor to my father and died in 1948. Out of respect for him, my father included his name in the company. But my father was the sole CEO and director.

My parents had classical music and old jazz classics on the radio often, not so much opera, but musicals as the Sound of Music and My Fair Lady were favourites and of course Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

Authentic opera started for me at school in England when I became the principal soloist of the choir.

All these influences were the catalyst for my creation of Calypsopera.

Around age 13, I started singing professionally. My father was not too impressed with the idea of me being an opera singer. He would have preferred a “legitimate” profession – lawyer, doctor, scientist – but he understood after and became my greatest supporter.

When I was 17, he arranged a debut recital for me at the Hilton Ballroom and I received a standing ovation. Hearing the ‘‘Brava’s’’ – a word I taught him – from my dad was one of my most cherished moments in life.

My belief in Jesus Christ guides me through my life. Which has been challenging at times.

I do not believe that it all ends after death. Looking forward to getting to the silver lining should motivate us to do the best we can and be civil to each other.

I have not seen where I can truly believe in any other religion than Christianity.

But I love all mankind and there is some good and bad in every aspect of religious life.

Red is my favourite colour as I am also called Reds.

The best book I ever read was The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

I read all books, excluding comic books and graphic novels.

But I am interested in biography and reference books, mainly.

I admire many writers but my favourite is most definitely Maya Angelou.

My most favoured musician is the singer Leontyne Price. And orchestra: the Russian Philharmonic. Otto Preminger is my favourite director.

I was nurtured and guided into opera by my music teacher. Ms Leone
Ratner
, at my secondary school in Brighton.

At age 17, I won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. I never had to worry about paying bills in the early days as a student. My father paid for my lifestyle and education.

I never ever wanted to give up singing, but I did become frustrated on many an occasion, as the life as a professional is not always easy.

Especially when touring around the world with five-to-ten performances a week. I believed in the fact that I was born to sing

I abhor violence of any type.

My claim to fame is having sung for President Barack Obama and 34 heads of state at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain in 2009.

We as Trinidadians are sometimes quite laid-back in terms of the self-appreciation of our talents.

I feel appreciated all over the world, but perhaps a tiny speck more in Europe.

I loved the calypsoes of the Lord Kitchener, as they were mostly influenced by classical music and jazz. Kitchener included those elements when writing his calypsoes.

He played the double bass and guitar and once had a jazz club in England in the late 40s and early 50s after his arrival on the HMT Empire Windrush.

My creation of Calypsopera was appreciated highly by many on its introduction to Trinidadians, including the Lord Kitchener himself and his son Kernal.

Of course, there are many other calypsonians whose calypsoes I have arranged in a classical form, including the Mighty Shadow’s Dingolay and David Rudder’s Calypso Music.

I have toured with the company Living Arts International for 30 years worldwide with the opera Porgy and Bess, singing the role of Serena, which is designed for a dramatic soprano. I am still in love with the opera as of today.

The best moment of my career – after singing for Barack Obama – was the first occasion when I sang the TT national anthem for a Panorama final on the Savannah stage with the Parry’s Pan School. The tremendous ovation brought tears to my eyes. I was overwhelmed with appreciation.

I have lived a life of song and seen the world. I’ve performed in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Taiwan, Japan, Russia, Greece, Israel, Ireland, Scotland, the USA, Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Hong Kong and Hungary.

This was my choice in life and, although there were challenging times, I have not regretted a second. Lessons have been learnt and invitations to perform continue to be granted.

I have written a Calypsopera musical entitled London is the Place for Me, a musical extravaganza based on the life of Lord Kitchener.

It is my dream that one day in the near future it will be put into production, preferably at NAPA in Port of Spain, and eventually move around the world including the Royal Albert Hall and Opera Holland Park, where I performed recently.

The London Tabernacle is a place to meet up with my Caribbean friends and have a nice meal.

It is not a venue for me to perform, although I do sing, if asked by the executive director.

Over-eating and gaining weight makes me mad with myself but there’s just too much nice food around. Along with not being able to memorise repertoire as I used to.

When I’m not in Trinidad, I miss the warm weather, the beaches, a nice goat roti, Frankie’s sponge cake and an Adam’s pastelle.

I also miss some of my lovely friends and the local music scene.

A Trini is a native of the sweetest twin island of the Caribbean with an amazing culture that should be promoted around the world.

To me, Trinidad and Tobago means joy, life, sweetness, love, flora and fauna, picong, good food and Carnival.

And going to church on a Sunday morning.

And being one of the best-looking people on planet Earth.

Read the full version of this feature on Saturday at www.BCPires.com