In the midst of the celebration of Calypso History Month, the calypso fraternity in T&T was yesterday plunged in deeper mourning with the sudden passing of veteran Winston “De Original De Fosto” Scarborough, 64.
It was only on Tuesday that Scarborough, who was well-known for his “steelpan tunes,” had sung calypsoes as he bid farewell to Winston “Mighty Shadow” Bailey at Shadow’s funeral at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. He was also in the process of penning a “humorous” tribute calypso in Bailey’s memory.
Unfortunately, Scarborough is believed to have suffered a massive heart attack while at his Almond Court, Morvant, home last night. He was discovered dead by his son, Gabriel, at about 8 am yesterday.
One of his colleagues, Franz “Delamo” Lambkin, said he along with his colleagues in the art form were in shock over the death.
“Just on Tuesday he was immaculately dressed in white at Shadow’s funeral and singing and dancing and so full of energy. This is so shocking news,” Lambkin told Guardian Media.
“I understand that his son normally checks on him and when he got no answer to his calls by his bedroom door he went in and found him dead. I believe he would have died in his sleep.”
Lambkin said Scarborough was originally a trombonist and “many moons ago” he decided to “jump in the ring.” “Entering into the calypso world, De Fosto proved himself as a natural. He arranged his own music in the early stages,” he recalled.
“When Lord Kitchener died we thought that De Fosto was the man to follow in Kitchener’s footsteps after he began creating a series of pan songs. De Fosto was very patriotic and he wasn’t too happy where the country was going and he made this known through his calypsoes. In the last he got involved in social commentary but was always melodic.”
Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) president Lutalo “Brother Resistance,” Masimba said he last saw Scarborough at the funeral and never thought that would have been his last sighting of his “brother.”
“I spoke to him and he was in good spirits. He sang and was very bouncy and good to me. This is a shock and in extending condolences to his family, TUCO will meet and see how best we can celebrate his life as we are still the celebration of Calypso History Month.”
Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said she was deeply saddened by Scarborough’s passing.
“This is yet another national icon and patriot lost, it is almost too much to bear having seen him just a few days ago at Shadow’s funeral. This is three in one year,” Gadsby-Dolly noted in reference to the fact that the deaths of ace pannist Ken “Professor” Philmore and Shadow had preceded De Fosto’s.
In a statement, she described De Fosto as a “true patriot, singing not for the glory but for the love of country.”
“He was passionate and deeply in love with this country. He will be remembered as a prolific composer and performer, always dressed in Trinidad and Tobago’s national colours,” Gadsby-Dolly said.
“He was well loved for his ability to create the ideal ‘pan tune’ – calypsoes, with songs like Pan Lamentation, D greatest Invention, We Come Out To Play which inspired national pride,” she added.
On September 5, in his last official interview with the T&T Guardian, Scarborough thanked God for giving him an “extra” bout to life.
In May this year, Scarborough began experiencing severe shortness of breath, exhaustion and “very” high-pressure readings. His heart was affected and as a result, became bigger than the normal size and was said to be working at just 35 per cent. In June, he was hospitalised and said to be very low. In the interview, Scarborough admitted that he never took the time to take care of his health but gave the assurance that since he fell ill he had begun caring for himself, including eating the right diet.
Scarborough was hopeful his health would have picked up in time for the Carnival 2019 period. Soon after collecting a cheque from TUCO for over $13,000 in cash – funds raised from a benefit concert organised to financially assist him with his medical bills –, Scarborough said he was looking forward to hitting the tent with a tune titled “Boom Bam.”
Scarborough was abandoned as a baby and found in the Belmont area by a Tobagonian woman named Beatrice Clark. Clark took him to the Tacarigua Orphanage where the surname “Scarborough,” borrowed from the capital of Tobago, was given to him.
His musical ability was recognised very early in his life and was nurtured by the orphanage where, eventually, he learned to play the trombone, read and score music.
Scarborough made his professional singing debut in 1976 with “Chicks Come Out to Play.”