Less than a week af­ter say­ing a fi­nal farewell to Win­ston “Mighty Shad­ow” Bai­ley, the ca­lyp­so fra­ter­ni­ty is mourn­ing the death of an­oth­er vet­er­an ca­lyp­son­ian in Win­ston ‘The Orig­i­nal De Fos­to Him­self’ Scar­bor­ough.
Scar­bor­ough, one of this coun­try’s most pro­lif­ic ca­lyp­so com­posers and en­ter­tain­ers, suf­fered a heart at­tack this morn­ing. He was 64. He had been bat­tling heart dis­ease and was hos­pi­talised sev­er­al times in re­cent months due to the con­di­tion.
De Fos­to’s last pub­lic ap­pear­ance was at the fu­ner­al of fel­low ca­lyp­son­ian Win­ston “Mighty Shad­ow” Bai­ley on Tues­day at the Queen’s Park Sa­van­nah and had even joined oth­er mem­bers of the fra­ter­ni­ty in a mu­si­cal trib­ute at the end of the ser­vice.
De Fos­to was aban­doned as a ba­by and grew up in the Tacarigua Or­phan­age. It was there, very ear­ly on, that his mu­si­cal tal­ents were dis­cov­ered and nur­tured. Even­tu­al­ly, he learned to read and score mu­sic.
He made his pro­fes­sion­al singing début in 1976 with Chicks Come Out to Play and over the years had com­posed and per­formed many pop­u­lar ca­lyp­soes, in­clud­ing ones spe­cial­ly writ­ten for the steel­band. Four Lara Four, co-writ­ten with the late Mer­chant, was played by the 1995 Na­tion­al Panora­ma win­ner, Amo­co Rene­gades.
Oth­er Panora­ma hits writ­ten by De Fos­to in­clude Firestorm and Pan Lamen­ta­tion, which helped Trinidad All Stars win the ti­tles in 2002 and 2007, re­spec­tive­ly and Pan­do­ra and War which helped Ex­o­dus Steel Or­ches­tra score back-to-back vic­to­ries in 2003 and 2004.
De­Fos­to nev­er won the Na­tion­al Ca­lyp­so Monarch but came close on more than one oc­ca­sion. In 2000, he placed sec­ond with Pan Forever­more and One More Kitch­en­er and in 2007 with Po­lice Mon­ey. De Fos­to al­so placed third in 2010 with In A Palace State of Mind. Source:  Stabrock News

Ken “Professor” Philmore - steelpan arranger, composer and ace pannist – died at the Intensive Care Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital on Sunday.
Philmore, 58, succumbed to severe internal injuries suffered in a crash on the Republic Day holiday.
He sustained broken ribs and his lungs had collapsed, police said.
Philmore was driving his Toyotal Hilux van north along the Solomon Hochoy Highway when he picked up a skid near Claxton Bay at around 8.45am.
The vehicle flipped several times and Philmore was thrown out of the cabin.
His wife, Sophia Philmore, had called on the nation to pray for her husband.
San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello confirmed that Philmore died at around 9.30am.
Regrello said, “He was in the ICU. He suffered some internal injuries. Yes, his lungs had collapsed twice in that time and I understand he suffered a heart attack as well. His passing is a really, really big loss to the pan fraternity.”
Regrello said Philmore played with many south steelbands and made his mark in the artform.
“He represented San Fernando with pride. He was like a brother to me He had so much to offer. This is really, really sad. I want to express condolences to his family and say thank you for his contributions to the city of San Fernando,” he said.
Philmore began his steelpan career with Hatters and then moved to Fonclaire, where he settled in 1981. He also began a successful career in composing.
In 1988, he appeared with international artistes Tina Tuner and Lionel Hamptom in New York. He was honoured by Pan Trinbago as one of the most promising arrangers.
Philmore was described locally and internationally as a pannist of today and tomorrow.
Source:  Daily Express, Oct 2, 2018

Olatunji Yearwood will take on the X Factor's dreaded Six Chair Challenge tonight.
Loop understands Ola will be singing in the first position.
The former Groovy Soca Monarch who wowed the four judges with his 2018 song 'Bodyline' won't be singing soca in this elimination challenge. He will be singing Lou Bega's Mambo Number Five according to a promotional clip on Youtube.
In this challenge, the contestants compete before a live audience and the judges. The hopefuls are split into four different categories and mentors are assigned to each group. 
The mentors will decide if each act deserve one of six coveted seats but they could be replaced with a subsequent performer.
For the 2018 edition, a new element has been added to the challenge called the Golden X where each judge will have the right to offer an act a 'safe seat', or the Golden X, which will guarantee them a place for Judges' Houses.
The Six Chair Challenge will be the last round before the live shows. 
X Factor will air on the UK's ITV channel at 3.35 pm T&T time.
Source: The Loop, Sept. 2018

FOR the love music!
Growing up in Success Laventille, WPC Kensa Thomas-James saw the struggles of her parents to provide for the family and vowed to use all that she knew, music, to elevate herself.
Fast forward to August 31, when Thomas-James was one of the women chosen from the Police Service band to serenade President Paula-Mae Weekes as she entered the Police Administration Building for the Independence Day celebrations.


The 32-year-old said she joined the service just to be part of the police band.
Playing the trombone is no easy task, said Thomas-James, and her title of being the only professional woman trombonist in the English-speaking Caribbean came through dedication and sacrifice.
Apart from having to feel and hear the musical notes rather than play them, the one time she sought assistance in learning the instrument she was denied after a man said, “women want to do too much”.
“My parents sacrificed and bought me a second-hand trombone, a gold painted Bundy that used to fall apart.
“But I saw how they were sacrificing for me, they could not afford to pay for two children to get music lessons. I saw what music could have done for me so I took it seriously.


“When they brought it home I had no idea what to do or where to start, but very soon I realised that music and this trombone was my only way out. I started to pay attention to music videos and tutorials and got a hang of it. I later joined the TT Cadets and spent two years in the band. Then I joined a youth band called Vizion,” she said.
Growing up watching her family and relatives play instruments and hearing of how her grandfather played his standing bass while chipping through the city, before laptop armed DJs boarded music trucks, made Thomas-James love music more.
In 2007, she auditioned and was successful in becoming a member of Divine Echoes.
From there she studied and earned her Bachelor’s degree in music from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus, where she graduated with honours in 2010.


She went on to arrange music for the band, as well as becoming the brass section leader and part time conductor.
“When I went for the audition I knew if I played well enough, I would get them bazodee and they would have to hire me. So said so done. I couldn’t read or write music then and I played Rene’s Song by Arturo Sandoval. There was a guy there, Mr Villafana, who told the others that if I could play that on trombone then I could learn to play anything and told them to give me a chance.”
After getting such a chance she bettered herself by copying the music sheets, taking them home with her to practice.
She watched and listened to videos and took tutorials wherever they came, because she knew from childhood that music was the key to improving life for herself and her family. The mother of one said she has motivated and mentored others to pursue their passion for music.
Asked about her first real paid gig, Thomas-James said, “Oh my God I was so happy. That went to the purchase of my car. It wasn’t about the money you know but to see my dream come through, you know. I knew that this was my way to give back to my parents and say they don’t have to worry about me any more. Trombone is my life, it pays for my clothes, my home.”


Thomas-James has played throughout the Caribbean and Africa, playing for David Rudder, Kes The Band, Errol Ince, and Caribbean In Excess. She credits her success to her dedication to her craft. She is at practice from as early as 6.30 am daily, and arrives for her performances ahead of time. The same goes for rehearsals.
“The passion I have and the love I possess for music gets me hired and has me where I am. I didn’t even know I was the only professional trombone player in the Caribbean. I was surprised when I learnt this and I did my research and I realise it is true. To be honest, I feel normal with that title, I just love music and my trombone.”
Source: Newsday, Sept. 2018

PAN PIONEER Elliot “Ellie” Mannette died yesterday at a West Virginia hospital, where he was being treated for kidney failure. He was 91.
A post by his family on Facebook yesterday said: “He was surrounded by people that loved him up until the very end. We would like to thank everyone for all the thoughts and prayers for Ellie. He was truly touched to see how much he is loved around the world. Ellie dedicated his entire life for the development of the steel pan. His biggest goal was to create and leave a legacy for his students to follow and continue his work. Thankfully, this legacy is in good hands and will be continued in his honour. Ellie’s tireless work over the past 75 years has touched the lives of so many people around the world. His family at Mannette Instruments will cherish his memory and continue his hard work.”
Members of the pan fraternity also reacted to Mannette’s death.
Michael Din Chong, manager of Shell Invaders, the band Mannette founded, said: “Our condolences go out to the Mannette family on behalf of the management of Invaders and the players. It is a great loss.
“When we celebrated our 75th anniversary in 2015 he was unable to be with us, so we went to him in West Virginia in 2016 and made a presentation to him for his contribution to the formation of the band, and his subsequent innovations of the steelpan. No doubt he is the greatest contributor to our band.
“We have just decided that we are going to dedicate our Republic Day J’Ouvert in honour of him.”
Master pannist, steelpan tuner and Mannette’s personal friend Emanuel “Cobo Jack” Riley said from New York: “Ellie was the best steelband captain and steelpan maker in the world. He was responsible for all the advancement of the steelband. He was the man that invented everything. I was in Invaders panyard working with him when he discovered the octaves and the fifths.
“He was also a man who, after practice in the panyard, will go home and listen to classical music.
“He was a very decent guy. I really can’t describe the loss that I feel right now because the way I look up to him I just don’t know what to say.”
Richard Forteau, secretary of Pan Trinbago, said:“We at Pan Trinbago send condolences to his family, Invaders and the entire pan fraternity. Indeed we have lost a great one.
“He went to West Virginia and carved a name for himself. His contribution was a great one. He was one of the few surviving members of TASPO (Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra). Now we only have Sterling Betancourt and Tony Williams.”
Ace pannist and arranger Ken “Professor” Philmore said: “Ellie Mannette was a true, true ambassador of TT.
“I had the opportunity when he was in West Virginia to do a couple workshops with him and Andy Narrell.
“I am very saddened to hear about his death. He was a great inventor. As a matter of fact the ‘thirds’ tenor pan that I play was invented by him. I believe the only two people that play that pan are Narrell and myself.
“My prayers and thoughts go out to Invaders and by extension to the entire pan fraternity. We have truly lost a great pioneer. May he rest in peace.”
Von Martin, CEO and founder of Caribbeana Communications Inc, Washington, DC, said: “I spoke with Ellie just two weeks ago to see what was his opinion of the book Voices of Pan Pioneers of Trinidad & Tobago. He was delighted as there was a whole chapter on his story in the book. He exclaimed, ‘You did a lot of work in it, man.’ I am satisfied that he was satisfied.
“Recently I took the boys and girls of Pan Lara steelband to meet the icon in Morgantown, West Virginia. It was a treat to see Ellie engage with the youths. It was as though he was satisfied that pan is in the right hands. Mannette’s work at West Virginia State University, Mannette Instruments and the scores of steel pan projects were tremendous accomplishments.
“I plan to do a three-hour tribute on my Saturday’s show of pan music in honour of this global icon.”
Source:  Newsday TT

CALYPSO Queen of the World Calypso Rose (McCartha Linda Sandy-Lewis) was specially invited by the Mustique Company to perform at its 50th anniversary party at Basil’s Bar last month.
Rose’s manager Jean Michel Gibert who attended the party said it was quite an experience.
He said Rose went to the popular Basil’s Bar with her full band and gave a concert performance that had approximately 200 guests from around the world – but mostly British – dancing throughout her performance.
Gibert said, “It was a vibrant private party that had fireworks!”
Among the guests were Prince William and Katherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and close to the stage were Mick Jagger and his daughter Jade, who invited Rose to her shop in Mustique. Jagger’s granddaughter was also on stage with Rose.
“The show was extremely well received, as Rose told guests short back-stories on the songs she sang which they related to. Songs like Abatina, No Madame, Calypso Queen and Back to Africa. Then towards the end of her performance, everybody came on stage with Rose as she ended with Fire Fire and Tempo. She was very happy with that. It was a good promotion for TT and Rose,” Gibert said.
As a lagniappe, he said, Rose gave guests an unplugged version of Rivers of Babylon, which they sang along to.
Bar owner Basil Charles attended William and Kate’s wedding in 2011 as a guest of Princess Margaret, and has since became the couple’s personal friend. The Mustique Company, which owns the island in the Grenadines, was featured together with Calypso Rose and the royal couple in the British celebrity magazine Hello on August 13.
The story spoke of Kate’s paradise party during her tropical island date with William, cocktails and calypso in the Caribbean.
It said William and Kate joined locals and holidaymakers at the famous bar for the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the Mustique Company, the consortium of residents that runs the island, where the dress code for the party was “a splash of gold.”
“The royal couple opted for an ‘island chic’ look, with Kate wearing white while William sported a shirt from the local brand Pink House Mustique. They were there for the cocktails segment and kept it rather classy,” a source told Hello.
Rose’s band comprises a number of Caribbean musicians including Corey Atheleny Wallace (TT/UK) on bass; Gregory Louis (Guadeloupe/France), drums; Fabien Kioka (Martinique), horn; and Audrey Rose Gbaguidi (Grenada/France) on vocals, as well as Silvain Barvieu, horn; Patrick Goraguer, keyboard; Cali Kamga (Africa/France), vocals; and Jean Mba (Africa/France), guitar. Also providing entertainment were the Rolling Stones’ touring keyboard player Matt Clifford and his band.
Source:  Newsday, August 2018

Machel Montano has been honoured for his work promoting Caribbean culture.
The soca superstar was honoured on Friday night at the Los Angeles 2nd Annual Caribbean Recognition Day which was held ahead of the Hollywood Carnival parade today.
Montano was honoured along with Puerto Rican actress Jeimy Osorio.
The ceremony was held by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson in association with the Los Angeles Culture Festival.
In his post on Instagram, Montano expressed thanks for the recognition.
"Flew in from Chicago this morning and made it to City hall just in time. I’m honoured to receive recognition from the City of Los Angeles today on LA's Caribbean Heritage Day!! Come celebrate our heritage all weekend with us at @hollywoodcarnival," he wrote. 
Source: The Loop, July 3