The Man behind the Music: The People's Calypsonian by Zeno Obi Constance is a thorough and evocative read, which masquerades as an expose on the career of Emrold Phillip, also known as Brother Valentino, but is in fact an eye-opening and riveting revelation of the true essence and purpose of calypso music.It is more so a revelation of the rich and sometimes turbulent history of T&T.
Constance delivers a thought-provoking and history-rich account of Valentino's musical career, and in doing so accomplishes what most storytellers strive to achieve, allowing the story to unfold unpretentiously, skilfully and with dignity on paper.The book is a compilation of interviews with Valentino, or "Vally" as he is fondly called, and documents his views, his lyrics and the catalysts behind some of the most hard-hitting calypsoes of all time.
The book gives us a peek at moments spent with the Grandmaster himself, Lord Kitchener, and of a friendship with Black Stalin that fell prey to the business.Readers are given the accounts of eyewitnesses, into a world that wasn't just about "mas and wining" but about real life issues that faced T&T and the wider world with songs like Stay Up Zimbabwe, Saga of the PRA and Free Grenada.The book gives a very intimate and personal glimpse behind the scenes of an era, and shows Valentino as valiant and unafraid as he uses his music to touch on sensitive topics.
Constance uses the 37 chapters judiciously to chronicle the works of a man known to many for his lyrical genius as a calypsonian and for the fact that, despite magnificent hits like Life is a Stage and Where Calypso Went, the prestigious calypso monarch title has eluded him.The story is essentially told by Valentino himself, through the use of newspaper and Internet articles, as well as television interviews by T&T's most popular media personalities, and is done in a very straightforward way, with Constance interjecting only when necessary to disclose information on his subject.
The use of media does, in fact, demonstrate Constance's genius, as the media reflects the views of the people. The tactic adds credibility to a book that is already strong in its detailed research.The book displays almost every human emotion possible, and at times one can feel the frustration that Valentino must have felt during competitions, and, when reading the lyrics to his song Backlash, the reader can feel not just the bitterness and resentment, but the hurt he feels on failing to win the prestigious National Calypso Monarch title.
The material is invaluable and consists of a detailed index, a discography, and is a nostalgic masterpiece that takes one on a journey from newly independent T&T to present day in an almost instantaneous fashion.Constance, who has been described as sheer genius, is a playwright, teacher and author of several other books that detail Trinidad's rich cultural history, including a previous book on Valentino called Valentino: Poet and Prophet, and a look at the East Indian contribution to the local culture entitled Tassa, Chutney and Soca: The East Indian Contribution to Calypso.