Scarborough Calypsoca show tries bridging gap between Caribbean forms
Young and older singers will be showcasing at the July 29 carnival event as the calypso torch is being passed in Scarborough this Sunday.
Presented by the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes as part of Peaks Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Calypsoca Extravaganza 2018 — The Evolution will try “to change the landscape” by encouraging younger people to embrace calypso as an art form, says organizer Ossie Gurley.
Dick (D’Juiceman) Lochan, a Malvern man who hosted past carnival-time shows at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, passed away last February.
Lochan was among the older calypsonians who dominated the local scene, but he and John (Jayson) Perez founded Pass The Torch, a calypso school for young singers.
Young people of Greater Toronto’s Caribbean community are more interested in jumping up to soca, however, and calypso here “will eventually fade” if this age gap remains, Gurley said.
The Calypsoca show will try bridging it with performances by Helon Francis, Trinidad’s reigning Calypso King, and Rondel Donawa, a runner-up, who are both in their 20s.
Also being featured are Connector, Canada’s reigning monarch, Macomere Fifi, Toronto’s six-time Calypso Queen, and soca performers Miguel Maestre and Naki.
Source: toronto.com | by Mike Adler
