Calypso Rose to women: Don’t marry for money

SEAN DOUGLAS

CHOOSE a husband for love, not money, McArtha “Calypso Rose” Sandy Lewis advised women patrons at her I Thank Thee concert on Thursday at NAPA, Port of Spain.

“Ladies, never marry a man for money. Marry for love,” she said as she then sang her recent hit Abatina, a sad tale of domestic abuse set against deceptively carefree party-like melody.

Rose also addressed the men present. “Gentlemen, never put your hands on a woman. Would you like to see a man hit your mother? “You have a little baby girl, you wash her, powder her, put her in her crib, and when she grows up would you like to see a man beat her?” The concert had a lively and varied mix of performers, in a venue packed with a largely middle-aged audience. PoS Mayor Joel Martinez declared Thursday last as Calypso Rose Day – the honouree being brought onstage by Culture Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly to receive the proclamation letter.

The concert’s highpoint was Rose singing Leave Me Alone, joined onstage by song-collaborator Machel Montano. The sheer energy of this duo was keenly lapped up by patrons, who danced at their seats and in the aisles, hands in the air.

The performance energised even the backing band whose bass guitarist leapt high, whose trombonist waved his arms in glee and whose two backup singers and keyboardist swayed with passion. “I ain’t going home,” declared an ecstatic Rose, arm around Machel’s shoulder. Rose went off stage, saying, “I’ll be back.”

Montano launched into Soca Kingdom. Seconds later, Austin “SuperBlue” Lyons appeared in shiny sequinned suit, rousing all to rise, wave and even jump, even more excitedly, when he went into the crowd. He then offered his vintage solos Soca Baptist and Ethel, then the Bee Gees’ ballad To Love Somebody. The show ended with Rose returning to sing Tempo and Fire, Fire – coming down among patrons who lovingly crowded around her for hugs and selfies. Earlier she had also testified “Jesus is my rock” as she recalled her 1996 cancer diagnosis, lamented slavery, as she said her grandmother was a slave from French Guinea, and recalled her fight for better pay for domestic workers as she sang her ditty No Madam. The earlier acts were also fantastic.

It began with the fluidity of pannist Johan Chukaree performing George Gershwin’s Summertime. However when he was joined by his All Stars Steelband mate Dane Gulston, the two whipped up a frenzy of Patrice Roberts’ high-energy hit Sweet Fuh Days. The crowd also enjoyed top performances by Turner performing She Bad, and Neval Chatelal singing MX Prime’s 2017 Road March Full Extreme.

A barefoot Nailah Blackman, with an undulating dance, performed hits like O Lawd Oye, Bailar Mami and Ping Pong, and her grandfather Ras Shorty I’s groovy Endless Vibrations.