Alliougana Singers pay tribute to Mighty Arrow on 10th death anniversary
Editor’s note: Today, September 15, 2020 is the 10th anniversary of the death of calypso legend Alphonsus ‘Arrow’ Cassell.
Ten years on and the memory of Arrow’s passing is still fresh, the extent of his loss to Montserrat seems to multiply with each passing year, but one thing is certain; his timeless music lives on.
Many have
been the tributes and remakes, especially of Hot! Hot! Hot!
It is said that imitation is
the best form of flattery, but respect is afforded in sincere tribute.
This is what we get in these
renditions by Montserrat’s UK-based Alliouagana Singers.
Celebrating their 20th
anniversary this year, the Alliouagana Singers have demonstrated to Arrow just
how much they have progressed over the years in fine-tuning their craft.
That they are able to add their
unique vocal flavourings to Arrow’s songs is testament to the time they had
spent rehearsing with him during his UK tours.
He would have been proud of the
choral rendering of Man Must Live
which brings a new depth and poignancy to Arrow’s time-proven lyrics while
remaining true to the music.
The spoken
tribute over a medley of some of Arrow’s best-known hits, produced and played
to perfection by Everton ‘Reality’ Weekes, is both a mark of respect and a
demonstration of their vocal dexterity – and ideas which flow from the Alliouagana
Singers.
Perhaps, the group could have utilised more of the blend of their harmonious voices as a backdrop to the monologue…but it’s hard to improve on perfection.
–Michael Jarvis
