PoS honours Chalkie, Contender

THE Port of Spain City Council presented plaques to veteran calypsonians Dr Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool and Mark “Contender” John to honour them as part of National Calypso Month which was celebrated last month. The occasion was the council’s statutory meeting on Wednesday which was chaired by Mayor Joel Martinez.

Liverpool took the opportunity to announce a Christmas concert featuring the music of the “three doctors” –three calypsonians with honorary doctorates, that is Leroy “Black Stalin” Calliste, Slinger “Mighty Sparrow” Francisco and Winston “Shadow” Bailey. He said he is seeking four corporate sponsors to fund the event to the tune of $100,000 each.

Complaining about an unnamed institution that had recently declined to help sponsor a calypso event, Liverpool said, “Culture is so important, yet so many people don’t appreciate it. There’s much education in culture. If you are not bathed in culture you are not educated.”

John said it was nice to return to City Hall some 51 years after winning his first contest there.

Later councillor Akil Durham presented a small cheque to a youth football team, Belmont Is Love, and welcomed a group of young pageant contestants.

Otherwise, Martinez vowed to launch a beautification programme for local parks, and a tree-planting initiative.