Remembering Cultural Contributors

REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN COMRADES

By William Doyle-Marshall

  I am taking time to remind you of those men and women from our community who have passed on. I think it is fitting to pause and pay our respects to people who have made stellar contributions to Cultural expressions in the Canadian-Caribbean mosaic over the years. We often forget each other once we have passed. This is a small but important attempt to change that attitude.

   Here are some names we should remember for their contributions to the arts – particularly Caribana,masquerade, calypso, theatre, steelband, music and overall support for cultural expressions as well as advocating on behalf of the community in areas of education and community development in Canada and on the North American landscape.
   Dr. Daniel Hill, human rights Ontario Black History Society; Bev Mascoll, entrepreneur; Dr. Doug Salmon, Al Hamilton, publisher Contrast; Dr. Wilson Head, scholar and human rights advocate; Al Mercury, founder Toronto Bathurst Lions Club: 1st African Canadian Governor; Rev Owen Burey,  pastor Sandwich Baptist Church, Community advocate; Dr. Vincent Doyley,  scholar - Canadian Alliance of Black Educators. Wilson Brooks, educator.

Dr. George Bancroft "educator of the year" celebration

   This year alone three Caribana stalwarts left us Selwyn Joseph, masquerader and former director of the Caribbean Cultural Committee – founders of the legendary Caribana festival – that some are trying to help us  forget. Joseph took with him other compatriots like Pat Sheppard and Tony Charles. Dr. Ralph Agard, community leader who also included the Caribbean Cultural Committee (Caribana) in his sphere of contributions stepped away from us. Peter Marceline, a founding membeer of the CCC also left us about a year ago.
   Byron Lee who launched his legendary Dragonnaires on the world stage, is no longer with us. His fans still cherish the work he created. And music lovers in Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. certainly miss the annual treat that Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires offered them. Dragonnaires’ fans at home continue reflecting on the magic the orchestra brought with it at every performance. Joey Lewis who directed his band in Trinidad and Tobago attracting fans worldwide for decades. He said goodbye during 2016 Carnival festival. Raf Robertson, ace jazz musician and producer and Brother Valentino (Emrold Phillips) who has been in the forefront of international issues as they relate to people of African descenjt. "Stay Up Zimbabwe" is one of his eloquent standards we still remember.

  Winston ‘Merritone’ Blake whose musical expertise kept Jamaicans and Torontonians dancing nights away. Bunny ‘Rugs’ Clarke of Third World fame; George Hudson one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut’s West Indian Social Club, Ralph Mac Donald, drummer and music producer; Lance Gordon and Alfred Chambers, also from Hartford, Connecticut left us recently. Of course we cannot forget Professor Lorris Elliott, scholar and playwright who was at McGill University, Quebec,
    There are others like Wallace Alexander, another Caribana bandleader; Winston Ali, chairman of the Bandleaders association in their early days. Phil Atteck, known as the father of mundialization for twinning St. Catharines, Ontario with Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

    The list is rather extensive as it includes individuals like Kelvin (Mighty Duke) Pope – exceptional composer and performer; Andre Tanker, musician and creative artist; Dennis Renwick, composer, performer and advocate; Arch Bastien, another Caribana leader; Elton (Smokey) John, Bayto Katjh, Patsy Brereton, Lord Caresser, Lady Caresser, Johnny Cayonne, Louise Bennett-Coverley (Miss Lou); Milton Blake, broadcaster and cultural advocate; Selwyn (Nip) Davis, masquerade bandleader; Cyril Diaz – the pioneer music band leader who introduced the big band sound to Trinidad and

Dr. Ralph Agard

Tobago;  Ernest Dickson, Eddie Etienne, Dsoloist; Mix Man (Anthony Felix), calypsonian; Bertie Fraser, cultural advocate and former member of the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament; Maude Fuller, cultural icon; Mervyn  Hassanali, Grace Hill, Fred Hope – memorable Caribana contributors. Hope is credited with giving the name Caribana to the big Toronto Caribbean cultural festival that is going through some serious phases of change. Ed Johnson, musician; Kenneth Ling, Al Liverpool, Lyn McNeilly, Michael Martinez, Pamela Maynard, Clyde Marshall, Dudley Laws, community advocate, Donald Moore. The accompanying photo features two important contributors who are no longer with us. Professor Frank Manning, anthropologist, of the University of Western Ontario and Cyril Diaz, pioneer Trinidadian bandleader on campus during a presentation hosted by Professor Manning for his geography class.

Professor Frank Manning left and Cyril Diaz, musician

   Outside of the City of Toronto, other Caribbean nationals have left us after making their presence felt. Irwin Hunte (leader of Panorama Steelband –Calgary; Ibu (calypsonian, Calgary) Wade (Kojo) Williams, Winnipeg; Sydney Joseph (Caribbean All Stars of NYC), Carlos Lezama, leader of the West Indian American Day Association (Labour Day Carnival), From Montreal we have Nerlin Taitt, Johnny Cool, Lord Paul, Mighty Me, Viking, Sad Man, Woodstock and Caribbean Fox.

    Back on the Toronto scene we have lost Andy Parris, Colin Rickards, Hettie & Charles Roach, Leroy Robinson, Harold Saldenah, Cathy Searles, Keith (Fifty) Sheppard, Fareed Sultan-Khan, Sailor (Stanford Peters), Ken Shah, Paul & Preston Sheppard, Kade Simon (Brynner, Glenroy Sterling,  Doris Vincent, Nigel Waithe, Rolf Warner, Dwight Whylie, journalist/broadcast and community leader; Philomen & Wilbur Wright.

   From time to time I plan updating this list so I am on the look-out for more names.