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Robert “Mighty Trini” Elias has revealed that he contracted the COVID-19 virus and made a full recovery last November into December.
Only recently another artiste Kenny J contracted COVID-19 and died. Trini said he shared good chemistry with Kenny J and he was saddened by his death.
But after performing the revised version of Curry Tabanca, Trini said: “I am ready to go and leave this behind. Forgive me if I cry, I get emotional.”
The Mighty Trini said he did over Sailing and Curry Tabanca to meet the standards of today’s style.
“The melody in them was too laid back and, I had to meet up with the party music playing, especially Curry Tabanca…TUCO is not doing what they ought to do and the government doesn’t respect artists. What Terri Lyons says there tonight, ‘give me a letter’ is true, I agree with her. Let me know when I come to the airport they won’t put me in a corner for four hours. We artiste are contributing to the T&T culture financially and otherwise… give us the respect, and she called for that tonight.”
He said because of the inconsistency and the uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 he did not do new songs for 2022, however, he said: “I have a bombshell to come.”
The Mighty Trini made his disclosures during his live virtual performance with the Calypso Revue at the ongoing virtual Kalypso Kolissiom series on Saturday (January 22).
The entertainer entered the stage singing one of Aldwyn (Lord Kitchener) Roberts 1969 calypso - The Bull; he completed his set and transitioned into an acapella of early calypsos like Dougla and Reincarnation.
He performed a reworked version of Curry Tabanca with the inclusion of Leston Paul, Kenny Phillips, Drupatee Ramgoonai, and Mungal Patasar.
Trini’s tent members Skatie and Chalkdust were absent from the show for health reasons, but calypsonians Diamond and Wendell Goodridge compelled the sharing hands of the WACK 90.1 FM studio, virtual calypso show throughout the night proceedings.
Two times reigning Calypso Monarch Lyons made a guest appearance and send the tent’s virtual ratings to more than 51 per cent. However, she sounded an appeal on behalf of all calypsonians.
She said: “We are calling on the powers that be, three months before (planning Carnival) is not enough to put together a show. I don’t want to sing in some shows by myself. Some artists down since 2020, some of them, their salaries have been cut and everything raised except salaries. If it is to be February 28 and March 1 how can we prepare and put forth a good show? Something as simple as a letter to go to the Embassy to go and work and come back we can’t get. We are a brand and I am all for what they want to do, but this should have been announced since last year.”
Prompting focus for organisers to adopt good cultural ideas, Lyons said: “Miami own (Carnival) was good and the safe zone they had in place, but not what we want to do here. A lot of artists cannot get ready in time.”
She called on artists not to be despondent and to keep marketing themselves.