Soca artist A Day of Dance at Cumbe
the industry.
Eustace Bessor has worked
with the very best. From KC
Phillip of Precision Productions
to his brother, Kyle Phillip
of Badjohn Republic, and
countless others, Mr. Bessor
– as he’s called, has never compromised
quality. His latest
soca releases for 2020 is proof
of that. He teamed up with
producer, Chain Linxxx and
the Phillip brothers for additional
production, mixing and
mastering on a single called,
‘To Have and To Hold.’ “That’s
a groovy single with a double
meaning,” he explained, highlighting
that while adults will
get the underlying meaning of
the song, children won’t, and
can still sing along. It’s a part
of his commitment to delivering
music that doesn’t influence
negativity but still caters
to the entertainment needs
of his audience. His Power
Soca track, “Bumperville” is a
Badjohn Republic production
— something he’s extremely
proud to have been a part of.
“The music is really good. I
know the quality of what’s been
delivered,” he said, arguing that
with so many new artistes and
new music being released each
season in Trinidad and Tobago,
no systems are being invested
in, by programme directors,
to accommodate the many talented
Caribbean L 42 ife, January 17-23, 2020
vocalists.
Bessor credits M1 — the
artiste formerly known as Menace
of the group, 3 Suns, for
supporting him in the Soca
business. “I’ve been singing
Soca professionally since 2005.
It’s been 15 years. I met M1 in
2007 and he has supported me
100 percent from then to now,”
he said.
up comedy since 1988 – said
he has performed with “the
best in the Caribbean,” such as
Trinidadians Spranalan, Nickie
Crosbie and Errol Fabien,
and Barbadians McFinngal and
Trevor Eastmond.
Daniel said his comedy routine
is “suited for the entire
family (clean),” adding that the
“greatest skill is knowing the
audience and how to tailor routine
to suit.”
Horne – a retired civil servant,
who resides in Kingstown,
the Vincentian capital – is also
a playwright, and the first Vincentian
to write, direct and
produce a TV drama, “The Bitter
End.”
In 2008, Horne won the
Courts OECS (Organization
of Eastern Caribbean States)
King of Comedy title.
For the past 20 years, he has
also been a radio announcer
in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
currently hosting “Sentimental
Magic Sunday” on the
local Magic FM Radio 103.7.
In addition, Horne said he
has been Master of Ceremonies
for the past 40 years, 25 of
which he worked for the local
Carnival Development Corporation.
Wyllie said Daniel and Horne
were chosen to headline the
group’s inaugural comedy show
“because they are well-known
comedians in the Vincentian
community both here in New
York and back in St. Vincent
and the Grenadines.”
“We chose a comedy show
because we see the need for
shows of this nature in our
Caribbean community, particularly
in the Vincentian community
here in Brooklyn,” she
added. “We notice that most of
the Vincentian organizations
in Brooklyn are having events
such as dance, barbeque, dinner
and bingo. Therefore, we
thought that our organization
would do something different,
and a comedy show is the way
we see as this avenue.”
Wyllie said that MSS/SJCM
Alumni Association — which
was formed in mid-2018 by
a group of past students and
officially launched on Nov. 10,
2018 — hopes to produce “a
good quality comedy show that
would showcase the talents of
our Vincentian comedians here
and back home.”
“We also hope to use the
show to generate proceeds to
assist our alma mater in St.
Vincent and the Grenadines
Earl “Ole George” Daniel. Janet Wyllie
in the area of developing the
library, science lab and the
home economic center (kitchen),
which is part of the goal of
the organization,” she added.
“We also hope to make this
an annual event to engage the
folks in the art of comedy in
our North America Vincentian
communities, because we see
the need for the art form in
the Caribbean community here
in New York and elsewhere in
North America,” she continued.
“What we hope to accomplish
is an introduction or
revival to comedy shows in the
Vincentian community here in
Brooklyn and use this event
as one our main fundraising
drives to achieve the goals of
the organization,” said Wyllie,
stating that proceeds from
the event and other fundraising
ventures will be used “to
fulfill our commitment to the
school in terms of completing
the projects previously mentioned.”
She said MSS/SJCM) Alumni
Association, which is headed by
Kenny Browne, hopes to start
those projects by mid-2020.
“We have already assisted
the school in other areas,” Wyllie
said. “However, these are the
three main areas the organization
will be focusing on to help
the school. This is also our way
of giving back.”
She said the group’s immediate
future plans are to recruit
new members, “start the
projects we have identified for
the school and to ensure that
those projects are fully developed
and maintained according
to the needs of the school.”
For more information about
a “Night of Comedy and Laughter,”
call (914) 262-3230.
Continued from Page 41
Eustace Bessor makes an
appeal for more air time.
Continued from Page 41
a full-day immersion into
African-rooted dance
that’s affordable,” says
Jimena Martinez, executive
director and co-founder
of Cumbe. “At $5 for
one-hour classes, we hope
folks will be inspired to try
out new dance styles, take
two, three, four or even
more classes and mingle
and laugh with their fellow
dancers. What better way
to mark the legacy of MLK
than by coming together
as a community to feel
the joy and replenish our
spirits by experiencing the
life-giving force of dance
and music from Africa and
its diaspora?”
Cumbe welcomes the
community to join us on
this special day of unity
to celebrate the life, legend
and sacrifice of one of
our country’s beloved civil
rights leaders and of those
unnamed who sacrificed
alongside King.
Please check out the
schedule of classes for Jan.
19 below:
11:15 am – Conga Kids
(family class)
12:15 pm – Afrobeats
Fusion with Tamara Jones
1:30 pm – Afro-Cuban
Explosión! with Leithis
Hechavarria
4:00 pm – Afro-Haitian
with Julio Jean
5:15 pm – Sabar with
Ousmane Sall
6:30 pm – West African
with Darian Parker
Community Dance Day
will take place at 1368 Fulton
St., within the Bedford
Stuyvesant Restoration
Plaza on Sunday, Jan. 19
from 11:15am-6:30 pm.
Each class is one-hour
and costs $5.
Visit www.cumbedance.
org for more information.
Continued from Page 41
NIGHT OF COMEDY
Community Dance Day. Gabriel Hirschhorn
/www.cumbedance
/www.cumbedance