Calypso Dreams Do Come True

written by Karen L. Richardson

Toronto April 12, 2007 - Patience paid off handsomely for calypso lovers in Toronto last Thursday. Critically acclaimed film Calypso Dreams made its long-awaited Canadian premiere before a packed house at Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto. The elegantly constructed feature-length documentary examines the importance of the Calypso genre through the songs and stories of its most notable heroes from the Lord Kitchener to Lord Pretender.

Calypso Dreams was first screened for an audience in Trinidad in February 2004. In recognition of the film’s unique cultural positioning Murchison Brown, Mayor of Port of Spain declared a Calypso Dreams Week. Toronto waited three years for its first taste, due in part to a fierce battle with cancer that caused director Geoffrey Dunn to put promotion of the film on hold. Thursday’s screening was sponsored by the Caribbean Studies Program at the University of Toronto.

The evening featured a question and answer session with filmmaker Geoffrey Dunn, followed by guest performances by well-loved Calypsonians Brother Valentino and Lord Superior. “Calypso really finds its place out here in the international scene. I don’t know if in Trinidad we take this art form for granted, but out here; Canada, London, America, it’s highly appreciated,” said Emrold Phillip who shares on film that he was baptized “Brother Valentino” by the late Grand Master Lord Kitchener.

The story of Calypso Dreams began in 1986 when director Michael Horne returned to California after visiting Trinidad for Carnival. David Rudder was crowned Calypso Monarch for Bahia Girl and the Hammer, songs which earned him first and second place road march titles respectively. Horne shared his excitement with his friend Geoffrey Dunn and the plan for a film was set in motion. “Michael is a musician by nature; I’m a writer and a filmmaker. He saw the film as a concert. I wanted to include the narrative - the story. So it plays both as concert and as narrative and so my job was to figure out how to mesh those two together. I took a big piece of butcher paper one day and just started drawing out the outline for the film, in about two hours, the entire film was written just by brainstorming and moving pieces around,” said Dunn. “For me personally, apart from the inside stories and the scenes and everything. Artistically, that was the thing I’m proudest about in the film, structuring the film in a way that plays as a musical, and tells a story.”

The film expertly permeated the chambers of academia as a historical document, while reviving cultural nostalgia among the city’s Trinbagonian expatriates in a way never before seen. Throughout the screening, the audience spontaneously burst into song as they witnessed familiar favourites born again after years of obscurity.

American filmmakers Geoffrey Dunn and Michael Horne have successfully penetrated the Calypso fraternity, producing a work of sweetness only rivaled by the taste of roadside roti in St. James, Trinidad.

Such a feat would have been impossible without the trust and vision of the Trinidadian Calypso community. Both guest artistes of the premiere appear in Calypso Dreams, however, Andrew Marcano (Lord Superior) also played a key role in facilitating the production of the film and is credited as a co-producer. “You know they see this white kid coming down when I was younger saying ‘what’s this about?’ and same with my partner Michael Horne. We both developed real sincere relationships. Now, it’s ironic. We’re taken in and given the sort of inside story and embraced,” said Dunn. “Now Supie’s Vintage Brigade Camp that he puts on every year is now taken after the film. And so that’s part of our lives. It’s not separate anymore. Trinidad is part of my life now.”

Perhaps the most pervasive theme in Calypso Dreams is that of friendship. The interviewed artists speak openly of mutual respect and admiration. Mighty Sparrow, who acted as the film’s artistic consultant, credits Lord Melody for influencing his style. However, the camaraderie extends beyond the bounds of career. There is a tender moment when Mighty Bomber speaks of the generosity of Lord Kitchener who he says furnished him with both food and money in difficult times. Calypso Rose, the two-time road march queen describes her relationship with Sparrow as that of a brother and sister. For the Toronto audience such relationship echoes loudly.

In spite of the humorous and celebratory mood of Calypso Dreams, therein lies a certain sadness. Bookended with funerals, the film reminds viewers that the golden era of the music has passed. “It begins with Kitchener’s death and ends with Pretender’s death. It raises the question at the end, ‘where is calypso going?’ You know the scene with Supie in the cemetery raises that specter. Can it survive? And I don’t know the answer to that, I don’t,” said Dunn. Lord Superior was a little more hopeful. “It’s likely to have a renaissance of vintage Calypso as a result of this film. I think it’s going to go places and take us places and give us a wider audience throughout the universe,” said Marcano. Geoffrey Dunn is doing all that he can to make that happen. “The film’s gonna go international. There have been several distribution offers. There’s going to be a theatrical release, DVD, video release, television. There’s also a soundtrack CD. I’ve been actually asked to do a series, a thirteen part series based on all of our rough footage,” said Dunn.

Calypso Dreams will return to the city of Toronto on August 3, 2007 for an official launch at the Harbourfront Centre. The two-day event will feature performances by Singing Sandra, Black Stalin, Brother Valentino and Lord Superior as well as Canadian based calypso acts Kobotown and Macomere Fifi.

CLICK HERE for a VIDEO TRAILER of 'Calypso Dreams'

For updates please visit http://www.calypsodreams.com/