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| LEFT: Sherry Ann Guy as The Hummingbird, a Peter Minshall creation. RIGHT: Master masman Peter Minshall. |
“Text blindness” is an affliction that renders a reader blind to what is actually published in black and white. I am forced to make this pronouncement based on the number of responses I’ve had since my last edition of Pulse last Friday. While many called to congratulate me on “my list” of “The best and the worst in culture,” others called to disagree with my supposedly list, and to make suggestions.
Ironically, not one caller, and the callers included renowned scholars and academics, as well as celebrated musicians, composers, arrangers and artistes, realised that the first paragraph of my short introduction boldly stated that the “list of the Best (and Worst) Ever Musicians, Calypsonians, Bandleaders, Entertainers, etc,” was compiled by cultural researcher Dr Kwame Nantambu, with assistance from Dr Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool. Today I publish the remainder of Dr Nantambu’s list, as well as a few of my favourites as well.
Dr Kwame Nantambu’s list:
Dr Kwame Nantambu’s list:
Best ever dance bands of all time: Pal Joey Lewis, Clarence Curvan, Dutchy Brothers, Choy Aming.
Coming off the bench: Andre Tanker, Cito Fermin, Ancil Wyatt, John "Buddy" Williams, Fitz Vaughn Bryan, Tom and Desmond Durham.
Best ever comedian of all time: John Agitation - "Ton-neh"
Coming off the bench: Paul Keens Douglas, Tommy Joseph, Sprangalang, Learie Joseph, Rachel Price.
Coming off the bench: Paul Keens Douglas, Tommy Joseph, Sprangalang, Learie Joseph, Rachel Price.
Best ever song of all time to dance to: "Tonight" by Clarence Curvan and his orchestra, featuring Roy Cape on alto sax.
Greatest calypsonian and the grand father of calypso of all time and forever: Sparrow.
Best ever Band of the Year of all time: George Bailey's "Back to Africa" (1957); "Relics of Egypt" (1959); and, "Ye Saga of Merrie England" (1960). Harold "Sally" Saldenah's " Imperial Rome 44B.C, -96 AD,” "Norse Gods and Vikings" (1956); and, "El Dorado, City of Gold" (1968).
First leader to create sections in a Carnival band: Harold "Sally" Saldenah.
First leader to introduce metal work, that is, copper breast plates in a band: Harold "Sally" Saldenah (1955).
Best ever Carnival band leaders of all time: George Bailey, Harold "Sally" Saldenah, Stephen Lee Hung, Edmond Hart, Ivan Mc Williams.
Coming off the bench: Peter Minshall, Brian Mac Farlane, "Big Mike" Antoine.
Best ever largest Carnival band of all time: "Viva Zapata," Dem Boys, Belmont (1952).
Best ever fancy sailor Carnival band of all time: Dem Fortunates (Belmont).
Best ever small band leader of all time: Churchill "Babba" George.
Best ever King of Carnival of all time: Terry Inniss, Noble Khan.
Coming off the bench: Peter Samuel, Geraldo Vieira, Sr., Curtis Eustace.
Best ever Queen of Carnival of all time: Rosemarie Kuru-Jagessar.
Best ever sailor band leader of all time: Jason Griffith.
Best ever copper-bending band leader of all time: Ken Morris.
y turn—The Pulse List:
Best ever calypso arranger: add Ron Berridge
Most outrageous ever performances at a Dimanche Gras final: Crazy’s Madness is Gladness
Best ever Dimanche Gras MCs: Tony Williams, Mervyn Telfer and Phil Simmons
Best ever Dimanche Gras/steel band announcers: Tony Williams, Mervyn Telfer and Allison Hennessy
Best ever calypso MCs: add Tommy Joseph.
Best radio/television personalities: add Raffie Knowles
Best ever female radio MC of all time: add Sharon Pitt
Best radio/television personalities: add Selma Ahyee and Dominic Kalipersad
Best smut calypso of all time: add Saltfish by Sparrow, and everything sung by Zandolee.
Best ever trend-setting calypsonian of all time: add Lord Shorty's "Om Shanti Om."
Best ever uplifting-conscious calypsoes of all time: add “Build a Nation Together” by Merchant; “Little Black Boy” by Gypsy; “Food Prices”by Relator; “What is Calypso” by Duke; “Caribbean Man” by Black Stalin; “Still de Best” by Cro Cro; “Appreciation” by Johnny King; “Man” by Sugar Aloes.
Best ever popular calypso of all time (Coming off the bench): add ”Mih Lover” by Nelson; and, “Sweet Soca Man” by Baron
Best ever Road March of all time: add “Jumbies” by Machel Montano; “Bassman” by Shadow; and “Get Something and Wave” and “Signal to Lara” by SuperBlue.
Best ever love calypso of all time (Coming off the bench): add "Black Man going to party” and “Can’t tu’n back now” by Black Stalin
Best ever calypso to dance to of all time: add "Mih Lover" by Nelson.
Best ever humorist calypsoes of all time: add "Man Family" by Conqueror.
Best ever wanna-be calypsonian of all time: add Rex West.
Best ever wanna-be calypsonian of all time: add Rex West.
Best ever calypso on calypso: “The Five Rules of Calypso” by the Mighty Fearless; “Where Calypso Went?” by Bro Valentino.
Best philosophical calypsoes of all time: add “Good Citizens” by Sparrow; and “Time” by Sugar Aloes
Best ever female name in calypso of all time: add Kitchener’s Slippery Ann
Best ever calypso composer/writer of all time (Coming off the bench): add Gregory “GB” Ballantyne, Dennis “Merchant” Franklyn Williams and David Michael Rudder.
Best ever calypso re: daily life in T&T of all time: add “Nah Leavin’” by Denyse Plummer
Best ever calypsoes on cricket: add “Rally ‘round the West Indies” by David Rudder; and, “Gavaskar” by Relator.
Best ever reggae calypsoes: add "Tempo" by Lord Laro.
Best ever patriotic calypsoes of all time: add “Nah Leavin’”by Denyse Plummer
Best ever uplifting-conscious calypsoes of all time: add “Education” by Sparrow; “I’m Your Brother” by Almanac; and “Never Ever Worry” by Pretender.
Best ever sentimental calypso of all time: add “Carnival Time Again” by Bro Marvin; and, "Carnival is Over" by Kitchener.
Greatest calypsonian and the grand father of calypso of all time and forever: add Kitchener.
Mas
Best ever Band of the Year of all time: add Irvin Mc Williams’ “Wonders of Buccoo Reef” (1971); “Secrets of the Sky” (1973); Stephen Lee Heung’s “Paradise Lost” (1976); and, Peter Minshall’s “Jungle Fever” (1981); and, Wayne Berkeley’s “Heromyth” (1989); Brian Mc Farlane’s “India—The Story of Boyie” (2007); “Earth” (2008); and, “Out of Africa” (2009).
Best ever Band of the Year of all time: add Irvin Mc Williams’ “Wonders of Buccoo Reef” (1971); “Secrets of the Sky” (1973); Stephen Lee Heung’s “Paradise Lost” (1976); and, Peter Minshall’s “Jungle Fever” (1981); and, Wayne Berkeley’s “Heromyth” (1989); Brian Mc Farlane’s “India—The Story of Boyie” (2007); “Earth” (2008); and, “Out of Africa” (2009).
Best ever King of Carnival of all time: add Albert Moore, Tedder Eustace, Hilton Cox, Terry Evelyn
Best ever Queen of Carnival of all time: add Alyson Brown, Joan Greene, Joan Massiah, Pat Maurice, Janet Rollocks, Nicole Cobham, Anra Bobb, Alana Ward and Pamela Gordon
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