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David Michael Rudder is set to kick off a month of celebration with Calypso for San Fernando City Week in November.
Rudder was enlisted as the city’s honorary citizen in 2018 and he would headline a concert at SAPA alongside other artists Marsha “Lady Adanna” Charles, Steve “Ras Kommanda” Pascall, and Joshua Regrello.
The former Calypso Monarch said he felt honoured to be heading the cast and had a few surprises but did not want to “let the cat out of the bag.”
Rudder, originally from Belmont, delivered classics like The Hammer and Bahia Girl and said he is also making new music which would be out soon.
San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello said this was his last term as mayor and it was his way of exit to host a grand celebration.
Marsha “Lady Adanna” Charles carded to perform at the start of San Fernando City Week celebrations to begin in November.
Regrello said the council’s decision to headline Rudder at the second city’s celebration dubbed Let the Celebrations Begin was significant to Rudder’s phenomenal appeal to a cross-section of people.
He said: “David isn’t just an artiste he has an attractiveness that everybody appreciates and loves. What better way to open the celebrations with David when you consider we have been suppressed for events of this magnitude and this quality and there is no better way to start it than with David! He is supported by Lady Adanna, Ras Kommanda, and Joshua so there are southerners to back up the cast and strengthen and create that impact.”
Regrello continued: “With Stalin’s unfortunate retirement we don’t have a prominent San Fernandoian at that level to push where we are so…we have other San Fernando artists who are on an international level and very difficult to book, but his (Rudder) work goes beyond Trinidad.
“It is not too heavy. It’s calypso in its truest form and for realists and those who believe in traditional Calypso David represents that.”
Steve “Ras Kommanda” Pascall will also be in at the show performing.
As founder of the Caribbean Skiffle Pan Orchestra, Regrello said, the arts had always been dear to him and it was only, “fitting to end with a strong list of cultural events including the anticipated J’Ouvert and pan on the street, and a military parade.
“I really would have liked to see the transformation of the library into something meaningful but that is beyond me, that is up to Nalis. The waterfront project, the return of Harris Promenade to be used by the people and not those who it wasn’t designed for, the traffic congestion is eased somewhat. Local government reform we retooled the next council and next mayor and grow into more resources and more control of management so they can do a whole lot more.
Other events on the calendar for City Week include a 10K run, civic reception, and awards ceremony, Terri Lyons concert, the mayor’s ball, car show and a charity pan, parang and soca lime hosted by the Torrance Mohammed Culture and Arts Foundation under Simpli Smooth Productions.
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