‘Calypso Music, Alive and Well’

In celebration of Calypso History Month, the Brooklyn-based cultural group, Tropicalfete, Inc., will on Friday night, Oct. 29, 2021, showcase “Calypso Music, Alive and Well.”

According to Alton Aimable, the St. Lucian-born founder and president of Tropicalfete, Inc., the event will be streamed live via Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, commencing at 9.30 pm.

He said artistes scheduled to perform “the sweet and unique sound of the calypso art form” are Designer, Fimber, Tribal Legacy Band, Bronwyn Taylor, Mr. Lonesome, Cheryl V, Ras Vally, Trini Shuga, Tropicalfete’s Voices, Tropicalfete’s Steel Pan Ensemble, Tropicalfete’s Stilting Unit and Tropicalfete Body of Vibration Dance & Theater Group.

Aimable told Caribbean Life on Monday that gracing the stage will be veteran calypsonian Dr. Witty, whose real name is Mervyn Carter, who was the 2015 recipient of Tropicalfete’s Award of Excellence.

“He has been crowned the Calypso Monarch in New York for many years and has also won the Calypso Monarch in other US cities, such as Boston, Washington, Baltimore and Orlando,” Aimable said.

He said Dr. Witty has appeared at the Kaiso Revue Tent in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

“A former President of The Calypso Association of New York, Dr. Witty believes that calypso is the greatest music in the world and is doing his best to keep the deeply rooted cultural art form alive,” Aimable said.

He said Tribal Legacy Band will be performing a medley of authentic calypso/soca songs.

“They exhibit a distinct music sound that always have heads bobbing, fingers snapping and feet dancing during their set,” Aimable said.

He said another master of the calypso and soca art form, who is on the cast, is Keet “Designer” Styla, a solo artist with his own band, Therapi Band.

Aimable said Bronwyn Taylor will be doing a dance presentation to Invader’s calypso hit “Master of Disguise”, and that Mr. Lonesome and his management team will be adding theatre as part of their song presentation.

Daria Primus, who is no stranger to the stage, will also be entertaining the audience, Aimable said.

In 2020, Vincentian-born Primus won the NYC Beatz CoronaVirus Song Contest with “Social Distancing.”

“The versatile singers Cheryl V, Ras Vally and Trini Shuga will keep the viewers spellbound,” Aimable said.

He said Keran “Fimber” Deterville will be hosting the event, with Aimable and Talia Fortune, a youth in Tropicalfete’s program, serving as producers.

“Tropicalfete Inc. promises to give the audience a show to dance and sing along to, as well as showcase the power of Calypso music,” Aimable said. “Join Tropicalfete via Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to enjoy this exciting event.”