Rain, music and pork poured abundantly when CAL Invaders held its annual event Pan, Parang & Pork in the Queen's Park Oval carpark, Woodbrook.
Persistent rain delayed the start of the programme by two hours, the first act–Invaders Junior Steel–performed at 7.30 pm. The programme ran smoothly thereafter, perfectly hosted by Colin Greaves.
Invaders needs to be eternally grateful to band elder Edgar Wilson who not only conceptualised the event 12 years ago but also gave it its name. Together with Invaders manager Michael Dinchong, the idea was to host a steelband event outside the panyard, one that would be a few notches above the run-of-the-mill steelband blockorama, a popular Sunday evening event in panyards back in the 70s.
The concept has been developed and successfully executed by Invaders PRO/media co-ordinator Liz Namsoo, who is assisted by Dinchong, Desiree Myers and a cadre of band members. Despite Sunday's inclement weather the event got the thumbs up by one of its artistes who said, "this thing is real class."
Over 700 paying patrons passed through the gate on Sunday. Seen comfortably seated beneath the shelter of tents and the Oval's Carib Stand, and enjoying the wide assortment of porcine delights prepared by Dune Ali and Rib House, were Opposition leader Keith Rowley, attorney Martin Daly, CAL senior marketing manager Alicia Cabrera and Commercial Operations and Customer Service VP George Reeleder.
Turning in another excellent performance was Los Alumnos de San Juan, beautifully led by "parang queen" Alicia Jagessar. This group exemplifies parang music in all its genres, traditional and modern, and its sound is enriched by its tenor pan player and full bodied percussive section.
Having drawn patrons into the rain to dance at the edge of the stage's apron, Jagessar obliged requests from the song books of Daisy Voisin and the Lara Brothers, but not before rendering a parang-flavoured cover of John Legend's All of Me.
The parang group was followed by Invaders, joined by soloist pan ace Ken "Professor" Philmore. Parang Soca Queen Marcia Miranda was up next and, as she has done in previous editions of this production, had her audience eating out of her hands as she performed her popular and well known Christmas hits. Unfortunately, Parang Soca star Scrunter departed the venue before his advertised performance causing Miranda to do the evening's finale.
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Sparrow visits Stalin
It isn't often that a national calypso monarch sings for another, but this was the case last Friday when eight-time national monarch Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) serenaded his colleague and friend Black Stalin (Leroy Calliste), a five-time national monarch. Stalin, 73, suffered a stroke on September 21 and has been convalescing at his home on Turton Street, Les Efforts East, since being discharged from San Fernando Hospital.
Sparrow, who shared the stage last week at The Mas Camp with Alicia Jagessar, at the Calypso King of the World Meets the Parang Queen production, was in San Fernando on Friday, attending Sanfest. He was overheard asking for the directions to Stalin's residence and Stalin's wife, Patsy, took him to their home.
"What a session it was," said an elated Patsy this week. Sparrow began singing from the time he reached the front gate, straight into the bedroom. Leroy's eyes lit up when he heard Sparrow loudly singing the opening refrain of Congo Man. Sparrow rekindled many pleasant memories with us, telling us about the song which brought him back after the coma he was in, in New York last year � May the good Lord bless and keep you � singing it with gusto."
Stalin also got a visit from Justice Gillian Lucky the previous day and she sang for him as well."
Patsy said: "Sparrow spent almost an hour with Leroy, said a prayer with him and said that he will tell the world that he visted him and how good Stalin looks.
"To God be the glory; everything and his blessings are coming our way; slowly but surely."
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River Come Down
It's been a wonderful year for popular musician Ruth Osman and she will round off 2014 with a fabulous concert, titled Ruth Osman in Concert: River Come Down on November 29, at All Saints Memorial Hall, Marli Street, Newtown. The title River Come Down was inspired by the music of the late Andre Tanker, one this country's foremost flutists and composers.
This fourth edition of an annual concert staged by this accomplised flutist and she says, "it is going to be a culmination of the influences and experiences that have informed my musical journey so far." She added: "I will be performing new originals and some older ones, as well as covers from the local and international songbooks."
A stellar band of seasoned jazz musicians will be performing with Osman, including Wayne Guerra (keyboards); Dougie Redon (bass); Richard Joseph (drums); and, Sheena Richardson (percussion). Osman's special guest artistes are the beautiful jazz vocalist Vaughnette Bigford and Danish guitarist Anders Kappel, who are certain to add their unique and considerable talents to the night's offerings.
Peter Ray Blood
bloodline@guardian.co.tt