JavaScript is disabled in your web browser or browser is too old to support JavaScript. Today almost all web pages contain JavaScript, a scripting programming language that runs on visitor's web browser. It makes web pages functional for specific purposes and if disabled for some reason, the content or the functionality of the web page can be limited or unavailable.

Monday, July 7, 2025

Calypsonian Penguin takes final bow

by

20130127

Vet­er­an ca­lyp­son­ian Seadley Joseph, who per­formed un­der the name Pen­guin was a "gi­ant" in the ca­lyp­so art form says fel­low ca­lyp­son­ian Leroy Cal­liste, known al­so as Black Stal­in. "We lost a gi­ant in ca­lyp­so mu­sic, we al­so lost a friend," Stal­in said by tele­phone yes­ter­day.

Joseph, 70, broth­er of for­mer na­tion­al se­cu­ri­ty min­is­ter Mar­tin Joseph, and a for­mer pres­i­dent of Trinidad Uni­fied Ca­lyp­so­ni­ans Or­gan­i­sa­tion (TU­CO), passed away yes­ter­day morn­ing af­ter a pro­longed ill­ness. He won the Road March ti­tle in 1982 with the song A Deputy Es­sen­tial. He won the Ca­lyp­so Crown in 1984 with We Liv­ing in Jail and Sorf Man. One of his oth­er hits was Look de Dev­il dey.

Stal­in said Joseph will be missed by the ca­lyp­so fra­ter­ni­ty and by the en­tire coun­try. "He will be missed. His con­tri­bu­tion to the art­form is too much to even men­tion," he said. Stal­in said the younger gen­er­a­tion of ca­lyp­so­ni­ans and fu­ture gen­er­a­tions who get in­to the ca­lyp­so genre have a lot to learn from him.

"Apart from his in­volve­ment in the mu­sic he was al­so in­volved on the busi­ness side of things and the youths to­day can learn from how he did things," he said. Pres­i­dent of TU­CO, Lu­ta­lo Masim­ba, al­so known as Broth­er Re­sis­tance, de­scribed Joseph's his death a "great loss."

"His death is a loss to the mu­sic of the world and to T&T as a na­tion. He was a gift­ed com­pos­er and in my opin­ion did not get his just due. He was one of the few peo­ple who won the Ca­lyp­so Monarch and Road March," he said. He said Joseph's con­tri­bu­tion to TU­CO was in­valu­able.

"What he did for the or­gan­i­sa­tion was im­por­tant. He point­ed TU­CO in a pro­gres­sive di­rec­tion and it was an ho­n­our to work with him," he said. Win­ston An­tho­ny Bai­ley, al­so known as the Mighty Shad­ow, was shocked by the news and told the T&T Guardian it was the first time he was hear­ing of his death but said he did "great work."

"I knew at one time he was sick. We all have to leave this life at some time, but he did work and made his con­tri­bu­tion to the art form," he said. He added that the younger gen­er­a­tion, if they lis­ten to Joseph's lyrics, might be able to learn some­thing. "This gen­er­a­tion if they lis­ten to his melody and hu­mour in his ca­lyp­soes could learn some­thing," he said.


Related articles

Sponsored

Weather

PORT OF SPAIN WEATHER

Sponsored

Today's
Guardian

Publications

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

Jaggasar returns as National Parang president

20 hours ago
Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Jamaican Maroons celebrate, question land rights

20 hours ago
Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford’s holistic mission

to transform the lives of girls

Yesterday
Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Nicole Drayton’s breast cancer journey–Fear, faith, and fighting back

Yesterday