Our rich heritage of Calypso musicians and arrangers

2026-03-29 - 00:45

Tony Rakhal-Fraser This is a vital follow-up to last week’s column on the Mighty Spoiler, to say a word on the master of calypso arrangers and their music of the era, Maestro Frankie Francis. Very responsible for this column is a Facebook appreciation of last week’s piece by noted T&T musician Michael “Ming” Low Chew Tung. That registered in my mind that I would be doing an injustice to musicians and their bands if I did not at least call attention to a few of them; here goes. I first heard of and got an appreciation for the music of Frankie Francis in my awakening years to T&T’s and Frankie’s musical talent, and that from a few Castillian pieces he released sometime in the 1960s. The Castillian was new to my ear, but I did not fully appreciate that what he and his band were in fact doing was to make me aware of the Spanish heritage in Trini calypso blends. I fully understand now, never too late, that Frankie was offering us a historical musical link to our contemporary civilisation. Thereafter, I heard and saw Francis as a saxophonist playing the music for Spoiler and a stream of other calypsonians who came to him, not only for his playing but also for his skills in arranging the music. I read in Roy Cape’s biography that he had followed his elder, Frankie, from the Belmont Orphanage and joined his band. Roy admitted, though, that he was playing to the gallery to attract the ladies. Frankie intervened, lent him the sax and told him to come back when he got serious. Well, we know the story that Roy got serious. And so Frankie needs to be praised, not only for his music and arranging contributions to the calypso, but also for training and directing young players such as “Mr Cape”. Frankie, as dynamic and original as he was, and so too his music, remains that way; similarly, the music of others of the 1950s-1960s era. In my youth, I was totally captured by Fitz Vaughn Bryan and his Tan Tan, which must have influenced Minshall’s naming of his character, but I don’t assert that as the truth; I am only guessing. Fitz Vaughn’s Tan Tan, for me, is the quintessential calypso jump-up music with the brass instruments blaring Tan Tan and I am certain that if it’s played in one of the young people breakaway fetes, it will drive them to a melodious and joyful high. The solos by Fitz Vaughn in that piece explore the soul of the calypso; maybe there is a connection with what Shorty brought in the 1970s—I am exploring thoughts. John “Buddy” Williams’ She Pon Top—thanks Vernon for giving me the correct title—less dizzy than Tan Tan, but wonderfully musical as a companion piece of outstanding big band music. The Dutchy Brothers of San Fernando, led by Pete DeVlut, played wonderful dance music in the period. Not yet being of age to go to one of the dances, I settled for hearing the music played on Radio Trinidad by Uncle Bob Gittens—“They don’t make them like that anymore.” Ten-plus years ago, I interviewed Pete on Power 102.1 and he demonstrated for me his playing and dancing with an imaginary sax in hand. As he told it, the “Dutchy” in the band’s name is attributable to the father, Leonard “Dutchy” De Vlugt, who came here from Suriname; am I correct in remembering the band to be headquartered at the bottom of High Street in San Fernando? The Latin music played by the band reflected those origins. I remember, as if yesterday, the Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White, Caramelos and the vitality of the solos of Pete and Ottmar DeVlut on the sax and piano. Joey Lewis! How do we treat with a musician who developed and played with a band for probably longer than any other of the big music aggregations of the 1950s into modern times? “Pal Joey”, as he was known, also blended the calypso music with Latin American stylings and rhythms. In an interview I had with him, he explained that he and his music were heavily influenced by the great Latin musicians of the time, Perez Prado, Tito Puente and others. Joey, perhaps in his last major interview, one done at my home, said he went to Gloster Lodge Moravian School, a few hundred yards down the road from where he lived in Gonzales. His interest though, had nothing to do with his school work; music captured his imagination from very young. “Everywhere Joey playing, two people sure to be there was we,” Black Stalin’s recognition of Joey. The tragedy that befell Johnny Gomez and members of his band in a drive into Port-of-Spain from a San Fernando engagement is remembered. I can only call the names of Sel Duncan, Mano Marcellin, Cyril Diaz, Sony Denner, Bert Innis, the Mootto Bros from BG, and the jazz-playing quartet of Ralph Davies. What a history we have of musicians and their music! Tony Rakhal-Fraser – freelance journalist, former reporter/current affairs programme host and News Director at TTT, programme producer/current affairs director at Radio Trinidad, correspondent for the BBC Caribbean Service and the Associated Press, graduate of UWI,CARIMAC, Mona and St Augustine – Institute of International Relations.