KAIETEUR NEWS, MARCH 3, 2014 --- Very few calypsonians can boast of actually getting the best of the Mighty Sparrow, a celebrated Trinidadian Calypsonian.
But our very own Malcom “Lord Canary,” Corrica certainly earned those bragging rights. He shared a healthy competitive relationship with his comrade and he can still vividly remember, the day he challenged the calypsonian for the coveted title of Calypso King of Kings in Saint Thomas, US. Virgin Islands.
With a knack for humourous and witty lines, Corrica’s integration into the world of Calypso was destined to be impacting. But his initiation was not without trials. With a sense of triumph, he recalled the days when he was first told that he could never be a calypsonian. Today’s he lives in defiance of those very odds.
At 76, he battles with diabetes. Only recently Corrica lost his right leg to the ailment, but the Guyanese icon is still determined to make contributions to the continued development of the art form. The recent surgery was the hindrance which stopped him from partaking in the recently concluded, Adult Mashramani Calypso Competition.
Lord Canary at home in younger days
When asked to recount his child hood days, he was quick to say, “Girl, ya know, I really miss those days. Back then things were simple.”
He explained, with a wide smile, the times he spent being engrossed in a game of “kick ball” with his male friends from around the Bagotstown neighbourhood which would be followed by claiming the lion’s share of ripe mangoes stolen from trees around his community. “Those were really sweet days, the days when you could get a big glass of mauby drink, back then we called it a tumbler and you buns for one cent each. When you finish the Saturday chores you get away and your parents don’t see you back till night time. I loved ball games back then. I was a big sports man.”
Being the son of Inez and William Corrica, he remembered however, how he got hooked on his first true love—Calypso.
“I always tried my singing talents in the church and the people were always impressed. They complimented me a lot about my voice. But going to school in the days when only radio was most prevalent, I heard a kind of music that stirred me. It was calypso and I fell in love with it.
Unaware of the life changing relationship he would develop with the art form, he pursued a career in Calyposo.
“As a little boy I grew up poor but my parents were always insistent on placing more emphasis on values and not so much the valuables. I use to listen to calypso on the radio and I remember the times when I use to sing out all the Lord Kitchener songs from start to finish among my friends. The humor was what had me man. I was addicted. But I was also listening to the likes of Nat King Cole and Patti Page and that had an influence on the kind of music I started writing and even the ones I started singing.”
When he completed his Primary education, he was adamant that he was not going to move on to high school. He told his father, “I don’t want to continue high school because it is only going to make me a different kind of slave.”
Intent upon carving his own path, he told his father that he wanted to learn a trade. Respecting his wishes, his father agreed and presented his son with his first tool, a saw, which Lord Canary holds as one of his dearest possessions.
After becoming known in his village, Peters Hall, for furniture making, the time for his hidden talents had finally blossomed.
Corrica, a composition of a melodious voice and sharp dance moves, had always been writing his own songs. And he had been performing for a variety of audiences before but not for a paying one. He was tired of living in the shadow; singing the songs of other artists he admired. And the time had come for him to prove that he could stand on his own.
But first he needed a stage name. “The Destroyer” he called himself at first. But the name was as short-lived as his first performance which ended in a catastrophe.
“Back in those days you had to get a name that drove fear into your competitors, the name had to make the opponents scared before they see you. Some had names like Tiger and I came up with the Destroyer.”
“I had always been performing but this time around it was for a paying audience. Madame O’Lindie was coming to my side of the town and she was well known. I admired her style as a performer. It was held at a cinema in the area and I was still a young lad when I performed. I was to sing my song called ‘Trouble in de country’ but when I go up pon de the stage, I was singing out of key and the band just playing away and I was wining up and not even in time.”
When asked if anxiety got the better of him, with a smurk he articulated, “No No No, I was drunk. I mean I wasn’t a big drinker but that was the thing back then ya know. Ya take a lil shot. But I aint know. I probably had too many.”
After the performance, he was told that he had not the qualities of a calypsonian, but that was not enough to prevent once “The destroyer” from his rebirth.
Lord Canary's awards
“Well after that performance I eased down a bit and then there came the evolution of the names. The stage names moved from reflecting fear to indicating the sweetness of the voice so you had names coming out like Lord Melody and then Sparrow. So since people always saying that our styles (Sparrow and mine) are similar, I called myself, Lord Canary because a canary was a popular caged Guyanese bird. And it stuck.”
The rise to fame came smoothly after his first fall. He also remembered doing his first recordings at Demerara radio.
With memorable performances at the Globe Cinema which saw the presence of The Mighty sparrow and Lord Melody, Canary proved that he was a true calypsonian, and one to keep a close eye on.
From that very moment, Corrica was climbing the ladder of musical success and stealing the spotlight even from the Mighty Sparrow in a Calypso King of Kings Competition in the 1960’s.
“That competition was a true crowd pleaser. It was a great experience. It was held in the Virgin Islands and the judges said I lost to a Trinidadian Calypsonian named the Mighty Duke by half a point. I couldn’t believe that. But I beat Sparrow and I beat him with two songs and one was called, “A tribute to Martin Luther King,” and Sparrow sang a similar one too but that one was called, “It’s going to be a hot summer.”
“My career had always been fruitful. I travelled so many parts of this world and I was loved dearly. The Trinidadians had me on a pedestal. It was so crazy at one point that Sparrow use to tell me I was foolish for living in Guyana because people use to be singing my music in Trinidad and making lots of money off of it. Sparrow and I had a good relationship. He was a good friend to me. We toured together, and performed in the tents in TT together.”
“But travelling had led me to understand the secrets of pleasing different people across the world but darling if I am to tell you we would be here till midnight. I aint able”.
Moreover, the entertainer has won several Mashramani competitions and has made sterling contributions towards the art form and its enhancement and longevity in Guyana.
He has penned some of the most popular songs, which include “Cockle,” “A Woman is a Woman”, “Tribute to Woman”, “Wicked Cricket”, and “Doctor Beckles.” He performed before an audience of thousands at the Madison Square Garden in New York and the Queen’s Hall in Trinidad.
His personal favouritre however, is “The People will Talk,” which he performed throughout Guyana and regionally as well.
Given his love for the arts, he was given the post of Minister of Culture to which he prided his contributions to the Mashramani celebrations as one of his most important accomplishments.
He also served as Parliamentary Secretary of Works and Minister of Trade and Consumer Protection under the LFS. Burnham government. He was also allowed to hold the post under former President, Desmond Hoyte.
He then went to serve as a judge for several calypso competitions nationally and regionally.
“My father always told me don’t take no woman unless you have your own benab over your head. And I listened to him. I mean I was a romantic and love always found me where ever I was.”
As he tried to keep his marriage life private which I respected, when I inquired about his children, he said, “Girl why you want to ask me such an embarrassing question, I got kids in the US, London, TT, Barbados, Suriname, Guyana and some more around the world. But don’t worry with that man, Leh we gyaff bout something else. “
Lord Canary today
As he gears to celebrate his 77th birthday on March 21, Corrica explained that among many factors there are a few things that may be holding our local calypsonians back from national and regional attention. These factors he highlighted were lack of professionalism, constant recycling of music and the political state of the country when it comes to calypso music.
As a professional calypsonian who has defied the odds and represented Guyana in Calypso music far and wide, Corrica stressed that our local calypsonians need to be professional.
“In this business, presentation is important. Everything from your diction to your delivery must be outstanding. It is this type of attitude that will get you everywhere. A combination of discipline and professionalism and you are on your way to becoming a true calypsonian. The talent and these qualities must go hand in hand.”
n his own words, Lord Canary was quick to criticize the constant use of politics as a topic by calypsonian in their songs.
“Listen, nothing is wrong if you sing about politics in calypso, after all it is about social commentary. But calypsonians need to start using their brains. Think for goodness sakes. There are so many things you can sing about but politics and more politics is just the easy way out. I remember the days when you had to take a joke and build your lyrics around that joke and you get a nice calypso piece.”
He added, “A lot of these calypsonians just recycling music from the artists of yesteryear. They need to use it as a standard to follow and even surpass not something to copy man.”
“It’s really sad that the calypsonians today have to endure this. You sing about politics and the politicians of course don’t want to hear what the calypsonians have to say about them. That’s understandable. But they must show respect for the art and let the music be heard. Let the music play on or else you will just be a contributing factor to its death. It needs to be accepted. We didn’t have censorship back in my days but with the influx of genres like R&B and pop it becomes even more necessary to promote it. We got to keep this tradition alive.”
In spite of it all, the Calypso icon of our soil describes his journey with the art form as worthwhile.
“I lived a fulfilling life with calypso; I have many great accomplishments because of it. I will continue to do what I can to serve it,” the local celebrity expressed.
[Story by Kiana Wilburg]
