[UPDATED] Calypsonian 'Master Funny' dies at 84

Donric “Master Funny” Williamson, 84, has died. The Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) made the announcement in a social media post on July 31. He died from cancer.

Former National Carnival Commission (NCC) chair and calypsonian Winston “Gypsy” Peters said he had lost a close friend and someone he called a brother.

In a phone interview on July 31, Gypsy said, “I have lost a friend, a personal friend of more than 55 years. This country has lost one of their greatest humorous minds.”

He said Master Funny had been ailing for some time.

“One of the best personalities you could find in a human being was Donric Williamson.”

Gypsy said he wanted Trinidad and Tobago to remember Master Funny as one of the greatest calypsonians it ever produced. He added that Master Funny was also one of the most underrated as well.

“I would also like them to remember him as one of the greatest human beings. He was calm, he would tell you anything he wanted but he would tell it to you in such a manner that you wouldn’t know he is telling it to you seriously.”

Master Funny was very frank but also very measured, Gypsy said.

“That made him a great human being.”

Even though his family and friends were expecting it as he had been ailing for a while, and he had gone into the hospital last week, it was still very devastating to Gypsy.

Gypsy described Master Funny as irreplaceable just as the late calypsonian Theophilus “Spoiler” Philip was also irreplaceable.

The TUCO release said the calypsonian was known for his wit, patriotism and enduring contribution to the artform.

It said he was born on May 23, 1941 in east Port of Spain and he began composing calypsos in the late 1950s.

Master Funny made his performance debut in 1964.

“He gifted us with timeless classics like Sweet, Sweet Trinidad and Farmer Brown, blending humour and social commentary with unmatched lyrical brilliance,” it said.

He was a longtime headline act at Calypso Spektakula and later joined the Back-to-Basics tent in 2019.

“Though he often spoke of the challenges faced by calypsonians, his love for Trinidad and Tobago never wavered. His famous line, ‘When I dead please bury me, in the centre of the city’ captures the depth of that connection,” the release said.

This story was originally published with the headline Calypsonian Master Funny dies and has been updated to include additional details. See original post below.

Donric "Master Funny" Williamson has died.

He was most known for further growing and developing the sub-genre of humourous calypsoes. The Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) confirmed his passing to Newsday on July 31.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.