Sprangalang turns 70 in fine spirits

A very upbeat Dennis Hall, better known as Sprangalang, graciously accepted good wishes as he turned 70 yesterday.

When wished happy birthday, he told Newsday: “ On behalf of TT, I accept! Ah glad to make this one.”

In June, Sprangalang was admitted to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope after having seizures which led to a mild stroke.

But in a strong voice Sprangalang sounded his normal self as he joked yesterday: “You know how it is with old people. I just have to exercise because I wasn’t walking plenty when – how should I say it? – convalescing. So I have to walk to strengthen my kneecaps.”

Sprangalang said he stopped socialising when the Mas Camp Pub burnt down in March 2017, adding that since then he has felt desperate and frustrated.

“Kaiso Blues is the modern thing. But I like the rum-shop finish. Also, I miss Roderick and Mac, and that is my frustration.”

He was referring to the Ward brothers who ran the Mas Camp.

He added: “Leroy (Black Stalin) was a part of that tradition too. So that is the problem. When there wasn’t anything going on, on a Monday or Tuesday night, we use to be just there and old talk. And karaoke night was a good night! So when Mas Camp burn down, that’s when the socialising thing stopped.”

He occupies his time now collecting calypsoes via YouTube and trying to remember songs that were never recorded to compile an informal archive of them.

“You can’t paint the real picture of calypso or Carnival because there is no proper documentation of the early days of the culture and the artform. I can’t even find recordings of Trinidad folk songs like the those from the Mausica Singers and Olive Walke. We run out of information.

“Most of the calypsoes Roaring Lion sang are melodies of Martniquan folk songs, and when you listen to Edmundo Ros slow songs, you hear Kitchener’s music. In Mas Camp we use to meet people talking those things!”

Sprangalang was planning to enjoy the rest of his birthday quietly with his wife Natasha “Sexy Susie” Nurse, who said she was preparing a lovely fruit bowl for him and, as requested, was getting him a bottle of Brut (cologne).