own homes, the UN said its
chief took the opportunity to
reiterate his call for a global
ceasefire in bloody conflicts
across the world, “to focus on
our common enemy — the
virus.”
He pointedly thanked the
viewers, performers, organizers,
scientists and sponsors
of the global event, for their
support of the World Health
Organization (WHO) and other
humanitarian agencies, which
are leading the multilateral
effort to reverse the tide of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“Together, we will defeat this
virus and rebuild a fairer world
— as united global citizens and
united nations” Guterres said.
Speaking earlier in the night,
the President of the UN General
Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad
Bande, told the millions
of viewers online that in the 75
years since the founding the
UN, “solidarity has been our
first and best line of defense.”
“Today, we stand together
as one world, to thank our
healthcare workers and frontline
essential community workers,”
he said. “You embody the
very best of humanity.
“By caring for the most vulnerable
Becket The Blackman’s inspirational song
end. “Also, the reality is that
the conventional CD market,
as we know it, is just about
ended.
“So, I decided to give it
a shot with ‘Coming High,’
as a single, and ‘Mo Rush’,
the album, which contains
‘Coming High’ as the opening
track.
While he was working on
the mastering and the cover
designs for the single and
the album, Becket said the
COVID-19 pandemic “began to
dominate the news.”
“So, we decided to re-work
‘Wash Yuh Hand,’ doing some
editing to make it shorter and
more appealing to an international
market, lyrically, as
opposed to just re-releasing
the original Caribbean version,”
the veteran calypsonian
said. “We decided that
remastering the track would
enhance its appeal.”
The legendary soca/ragga
soca/calypso artiste and
composer said the first verse
of ‘Wash Yuh Hand’ goes:
“Everywhere you turn today
is indecency/ People getting
more and more nasty/Is ah
shame to see/That’s when I
does remember my Granny/
And the good health habits
she instilled in we.”
The chorus is: “Wash yuh
hand, wash yuh hand/Wash
yuh hand, wash yuh hand/
Granny say to wash yuh hand/
Granny say to wash yuh hand/
Before you sit at de table/Wash
yuh hand/Before you touch
dem utensil/Wash yuh hand/
Wash yuh hand, wash yuh
hand/Wash yuh hand/ Wash
yuh haaaaand/Granny say to
wash yuh hand/Granny say to
wash yuh hand.”
Caribbean L 24 ife, April 24-30, 2020
in our communities,
often at great personal sacrifice,
you are protecting everyone,
everywhere,” Muhammad
Bande added. “You are at
the forefront, weathering this
storm. Remember that we are
with you.”
Deputy Secretary-General
Amina Mohammed, told
the global audience that by
being at home, we were “helping
our brave health workers”,
and echoing the theme
of the UN drive towards the
2030 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), she said it was
key to “leave no one behind and
accelerate in our race to find a
vaccine.”
“After all, COVID-19 anywhere
is a threat to people everywhere”,
she said. “Let’s keep
fighting together to stop the
pandemic, support the most
vulnerable and build back better,
in solidarity.”
In a world where so many
are now living out their lives
confined to home, the UN said
the unprecedented sight of so
many of the world’s top singers
and entertainers doing the
same, “made the intimacy and
humility on offer in their words
and music all the more powerful,
and genuine.”
Beyonce performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on
Feb. 12, 2017. REUTERS / Lucy Nicholson, fi le
The UN said the only comparable
event, in support of
efforts to improve famine relief
across the world in the mid-
1980s through Live Aid, was “a
carnival of stadium rock and
pop, that would be unthinkable
in the coronavirus era.”
Rounding off the night, the
WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, took to Twitter,
describing the final quartet
(led off by Lady Gaga and surprise
guest, Celine Dion), as “a
beautiful finale to an important
concert: One world, #Together-
AtHome, which brought solidarity,
compassion, artistry
and, yes, humor to millions of
people over many hours and
time zones.”
Continued from Page 23
Alston ‘Becket’ Cyrus. Facebook
Page
Continued from Page 23
healing,” said Joseph, who,
in 1989, was crowned Grenada’s
Road March and Calypso
Monarch with “Suzanna” and
“Bad Company.” Petit Martinique
is Grenada’s other sister
isle.
“All over the world right
now, the coronavirus has devastated
many families, but
reality hits when many people
I knew passed away within
a matter of days, including
my former band mate, Jude,”
added Joseph, who played
with Jude Phillip, a former
trumpeter, with the popular,
Brooklyn-based band, Lambert
& The Matadors.
Phillip succumbed to
COVID-19 on April 10 at NYU
Hospital in Brooklyn, according
to a close and very reliable
family friend.
Joseph – who won his first
title, in 1983, as Grenada’s
Calypso Regatta King – was a
lead singing member of Lambert
& The Matadors.
With social distancing currently
in place in New York
and being unable to attend
“wakes,” when someone passes,
Joseph said he decided
to “bring that same level of
comfort to families all over
through my song online.”
“It’s an amazing feeling
knowing how many people
have been touched by its message,”
said Joseph, who currently
leads his new live band,
Tonix – an emerging group of
veteran musicians, performing
popular calypso/soca renditions
and original music.
Partial lyrics to “I Must Go
On” are: “Life goes on/that
I’ve learned/And it should be
my main concern/I’ll never
let you go/From my memory/
Shouldn’t have to worry/Nor’
ever feel sorry/Cause you were
my pride/ You were my everything/
You gave me pride/And
courage inside/But I must
go on/ I must go on without
you.”
Joseph said he is “grateful
that there are too many people
to count who have reacted
with love” for “I Must Go On.”
“My hope is that I can reach
millions around the world
with my music, if it hasn’t
already,” he said. “Thousands
of people have now seen my
video online, and there is a
countless number of people
who have been touched by it
over the years. I am appreciative
of the support I have
always received.
“It made me feel sad to
even sing that song, because
it was initially created to help
me move on from the death of
my mother,” he added. “And it
would do the same when I lost
other close family members
over the years.
Continued from Page 23
MUSICAL TRIBUTE
Anthony ‘The Blackman’ Joseph.