Calypso icon David Rudder has Parkinson's disease, announces last major concert

Veteran calypsonian David Rudder has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and has said his upcoming show, Rudder 7.0, will be his last major show.

Speaking to media at Kafe Blue, Wrightson Road, Rudder said he would continue to perform, but not on a large scale.

"This show will be my last marathon show."

The concert takes place on his 70th birthday on May 6 at Sound Forge, Woodbrook.

"Wayne, I can't do four hours standing up on a stage again. To my fans I will say, don’t cry, I will still be around making music, this is just something that happens in life.

"I’ll continue to perform, but I will slow down when I feel I have to. The energy is still there.”

He recently lost two close friends, long-time drummer Barry Howard and musical director, writing partner and friend Wayne Bruno.

"Wayne, Barry, this one is for you. People of Trinidad and Tobago, this one is for you."

Rudder said in 2020, after his brother died, he felt something heavy in the air, which turned out to be the covid19 pandemic. He said he decided to check on himself, as he still felt something was wrong.

“So there am I struggling with, how do I handle a situation like this? There was something I couldn’t put my finger on, something extra. I’m trying to do music to make people feel better, and I decided to be selfish for a little while and check on myself.

"This is where the essence of what this concert is about came into play, where I realised why I had to do what I had to do. Do I want to face these answers?

“The first thing I did was do some tests, and I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

"With that, I said, this concert may not be my last, I’ll keep playing, doing shows, but no more marathon four-hour shows.

"It brought me into a kind of space where I had to focus on me for the first time. I feel like I have to slow down, though the energy is still there for now. I have to take it easy and one step at a time, that’s one of the ways you are affected by this disease.”

Rudder said he would still be around and would share as much as he could until he felt he had to pull back.

“I have started writing my autobiography. I’m going back into my paintings. I want to get into copper work. I’ll be training young people and some other things, but that’s in the future. I want to go out and visit schools, though I know the disease can affect the way you talk, which might be a problem.”

Rudder said the support from his family since his diagnosis had been tremendous.

“They remind me when to take my medication and how much, that I need to get up and walk, all of these things.”

He said he was working on a song, The Rising, which he was preparing for Carnival 2023 but was unable to complete as the co-producer became unavailable.

“Just before we finished the song, the co-producer had to go see about his family and it never came out. I was like, 'This is the perfect song for Carnival. Why these things happen? and I said wait, everything in my life always has a reason, so maybe it wasn’t ready yet.

"Maybe I’ll be around to see the rising of the country, the rising of the spirit of the people.”

He said he would be tackling other songs in the studio after the show, based on things that were important to him.

“They are about sensitive issues that are important to me, a great example is a song called Windrushes, talking about the Windrush generation, and that will be out hopefully soon.

"I’m still looking out for my people, for what is hindering our progress, what can help them feel better about themselves.

"It’s just coming together at the same time, and I’m realising this is life.

"You have songs that touch people instantly and songs that never get the chance. Some songs where: years after you realise this is the time for this song, and all these elements are coming together right now.”

Rudder, discussing his upcoming concert, said he looked at Russia and the Ukraine, the murders in the US, and the problems here in TT.

“We forget the essence of why we are here living this life.

"I thought about, how do I approach this marathon concert with my right-hand man and my drummer gone? How do I address the topic of life while people close to me are dying? I questioned if I had the energy to stand on stage for four hours and deliver.”

Asked what he thought about the state of calypso, he said he still felt that Trinibad artistes were the new-age calypsonians.

“Whatever has the edge and vexes people is what is really going on in society.

"I think one of the problems we have in the calypso is that it’s just writing songs for people to sing and it gets you to the final. What I want to hear is things that people turn and say it’s disgusting and annoying and I’m saying to myself, 'This is what is happening in society? and, 'This is what is scaring people?

"We have to face up to the reality of if there’s something called Trinibad, why? Why did it happen?”

He said he was looking out for something new and different from the new generation, a wow factor. He said it tends to ebb and flow in TT.

“I’m looking for something between Trinibad and something that will blow your mind because it’s so different. Because it would mean that there’s something in TT that going on and you don’t even realise it, where it coming from.

"I’m still looking to see more of an edge, asking the young people, yes, you’re saying this but what do you really want to say? It’s not about crossing the line, but say something that’s so radical and strange that the whole place says this is what we were looking for all the time.

"There are some young guys, they’re honest, and I’m really impressed by the honesty. They are good citizens.

"I was listening to Yung Bredda and everything he’s just talking from his heart. Authentic. And most of them are like that.

"So you give them an alternative – the knowledge or the guns– what are you going to do?

Rudder said he has always felt the love of the nation, even in the midst of the hard times as the country started to fall apart.

“It’s like the last wall people can put up. Even when things hard, they can show love to a brother or a sister.”

According to the US National Institute on Ageing, Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and co-ordination.

Symptoms usually begin gradually and worsen over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking. They may also have mental and behavioural changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue. Although most people with Parkinson’s first develop the disease after age 60, about five-ten per cent experience onset before the age of 50.

Parkinson’s has four main symptoms: tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head; muscle stiffness, where muscle remains contracted for a long time; slowness of movement; and impaired balance and co-ordination, sometimes leading to falls.

Other symptoms may include: depression and other emotional changes; difficulty swallowing, chewing, and speaking; urinary problems or constipation; and skin problems

The symptoms of Parkinson’s and the rate of progression differ among individuals.