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The word Stalin derives from the Russian word for a ‘man of steel’ (stal), and black, all artists or colour specialists are aware, is the most powerful, and strengthens every colour under the sun. The late handsomely-recognised calypsonian former limbo dancer, that hailed from south Trinidad, Black Stalin (Leroy Calliste), was the epitome of both.
With an expected ocean of tributes flowing through Trinidad especially his hometown, one of the individuals who is reeling under his passing but is standing strong from her musical relationship with him for decades in the capacity of duet and background vocalist, Lady Adanna, has mustered the strength to dissect one of the favourites of all times, Black Man Feeling to Party, as memories surface from rehearsals and performances.
“The passing of the legendary Leroy Calliste stage named Black Stalin is a cultural loss to Trinidad and Tobago; one that I am certain will be widely and deeply felt as he has impacted many lives. And while we mourn his physical passing, his music, however, will live on in our hearts and minds for years to come. Being one of those persons touched by his music, I decided to take a look at one of his many great songs of which I was a part of professionally, Blackman Feeling to Party, just to remind us all of his genius, and to commemorate a great artist.
“According to calypso historian Errol Hill, a great calypso should effect some sort of transformation in its listeners, and the musical style should enrich the poetics by making it more enticing. And with Blackman Feeling to Party you get that ideal balance, wrapped in irony. You see, although the rhythm conjures up a festive mood, the song can be viewed as a sociological editorial about male and female relationships and family life. Stalin, by normalising marital romance in his calypso, changed the existing norm and introduced a new male-female dynamic. In the calypso, Stalin challenged the very masculine notion that a man should be having fun with an outside woman.
“Stalin sings about taking his wife out for the date, at a time when party music favoured a Stranger in the Night storyline. He makes a compelling case for his need for both his pleasure, and his wife’s, also. He establishes the role of the woman, suggesting that she oversees taking care of the chores and is responsible for taking care of the children, but they both should leave the house to go out to party together. This is not a pity date either; his intentions are made apparent in the chorus when he tells her to put on something sexy. He articulates that it is time to celebrate, jam, boogie, and wine; all while embracing his love and adoration for his wife unapologetically.
“With this Calypso, Stalin assures men that it is acceptable to have romance, dance with, and wine and jam with their wives. With phrases like hang on to yuh woman and tell yuh woman yuh love she. Blackman Feeling to Party is both a calypso love song and a social commentary calypso. In his winning performance from 1991, he confesses in the fourth verse that it is the woman’s support that makes him great, acknowledging that she is the source of his courage, and that she is the motivation behind his professional achievement. In this way, Stalin advises men to love, respect, and take care of their women. That is one of the things that sticks out most in his live performance of this classic song.
Lady Adanna said, not only does she clearly remember singing duets with the Black man, but he told her to never stop singing. She also remembers singing background vocals for him, and the fervour he brought to the stage from the beginning of Blackman Feeling to Party, was remarkable.
“During his performance, I distinctly recall him saying to us, the chorus singers, to be quiet as he turned his microphone to the audience who without being prompted, repeated every word in the chorus as if in a trance-like state. Added to that, he used the rhythm to create a mood of liberation which normalizes having fun with the wife. It is no wonder that this song has maintained a level of dominance in the Calypso genre since it was first performed more than thirty years ago and has been acclaimed as a classic by many. It is plausible that this calypso, Blackman Feeling to Party, earned the reputation of being a classic and classical calypso not only because of the vocal and musical style, but also because of Stalin’s handling of the topic. These characteristics have made Blackman Feeling to Party timely and timeless. It is a message we still need to hear. Thank you, Black Man. Sail on to the celestial shore. You have gone from work to reward. Rest in Power!”