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 In 1982, the U.S. musician Michael
Williams recorded Walter Ferguson album "Mr. Gavitt:
Calypso of Costa Rica: Cocoa Plantation Calypso
songs sung in English," it was not promoted in Costa
Rica. /
Ministry of Culture courtesy
photos
Celebration of the 100 years of Walter Ferguson: King of Calypso |
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By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
"Rumba en Cahuita", "Monilia", "Cabin in the Wata" are among the many works written by maestro Walter Ferguson, that will be performed by the Limón Concert Band as part of the celebration of the 100 years of the life of the King of Calypso. The concert is open to the public and will be presented on Monday, May 6, at 6:45 p.m. in the Municipality of Limón*. In addition to the Limón Concert Band, the Kawe Calypso group will be present as a special guest. "One of the main functions of the Limón Concert Band is to rescue the original music and native music of Limón and, currently, Walter Ferguson is the most important living composer, he has written a lot of music, so it represents a legacy," said Alberto Portuguez, director of the Concert Band of Limón. “This concert is very special to honor the 100 years of the life of Maestro Ferguson." For the musical and cultural development of Limón, and of the country, the legacy of Walter Ferguson is very important, because the essence of the Limón identity revolves around Calypso, an artistic manifestation that tells the experiences in the communities, the stories of everyday life. "It's like a very natural cultural product, something that is told on the shore of the beach, on the edge of a bonfire. As musicians of the Concert Band of Limón, we are very happy to present this concert," said director Portuguez. On Tuesday the celebration of the centenary of the King of Calypso coincides with the celebration of the first National Day of the Costa Rican Calypso. On Tuesday 7th at 12 noon in the park of the town of Cahuita*, there will be concerts of calypso performed by the Concert Band of Limón, Kawe Calypso, the Calypso Group UNED, and the Lemon Dance Group, among other groups. National Costa Rican Calypso Day was created in 2018, with Law #9612, which declared the calypso music of Limón citizens as a Costa Rican immaterial cultural heritage and the tribal community of Cahuita the cradle of the Costa Rican calypso. King of Calypso Walter Gavitt Ferguson Byfield was declared a distinguished citizen. Calypso music emerged on the island of Trinidad and arrived in Costa Rica with Jamaican immigrants at the end of the 19th century. It took root, with its own characteristics, in the popular sectors of that Afro-descendant population. Walter Ferguson is a calypsonian known as "Gavitt". He was born in Guabito, Panama, on May 7, 1919, and at a young age, he adopted a Costa Rican nationality. As a child, he taught himself to play the organ, ukulele, and clarinet. He also learned to be a guitar luthier – someone who makes and repairs guitars. In the decade of the '50s, Ferguson joined the group called "Los Miserables,” which performed guaracha, rumba, bolero, and swing on Saturday nights at the Club House in Cahuita. This master of calypso expanded his legend thanks to cassettes that he self-recorded, selling them to national and foreign tourists who visited Cahuita, the musician's place of residence. These cassettes are and will be personalized phonographic treasures because each copy is different, unique. The songs included in each cassette varied from one to the other, as well as the number of songs; everything depended on Ferguson's inspiration. The simplicity and its captivating interpretation of the Limón environment through the use of the calypso and its inseparable guitar gave Walter Ferguson the respect and admiration of musicians and the community in general. The myth of Walter Ferguson increased over the years; however, his musical work was not recorded professionally until, in 1982, the U.S. musician Michael Williams recorded and produced the acetate "Mr. Gavitt: Calypso of Costa Rica: Cocoa Plantation Calypso songs sung in English," an album that was not promoted in Costa Rica. Four years later, in 1986, the album "Calypsos del Caribe de Costa Rica" appeared, where 10 Ferguson songs were included, among which: "Cabin in the Wata". Almost two decades later, Babylon appeared (2003); and, without letting the effervescence caused by the previous publication cease, Dr. Bombodee (2004) emerged, both under the seal of Papaya Music. "One Pant Man", "Callalloo", "Black Man Food", "Cabin in the Wata", "Cahuita is a Beautiful Place" and "G-O-O-D", are just some of Ferguson's most well-known calypsos. According to his own calculations, on average he has composed more than 150 calypsos in his life. Throughout his career, Walter Ferguson has been recognized countless times. In 2018, he was awarded the Immaterial Cultural Heritage Prize Emilia Prieto Tugores, because "his important work is characterized by vindicating the Afro-Costa Rican culture through the mastery of its composition, interpretation and musical transmission in which its creativity and social sensitivity stand out, becoming an outstanding narrator of the feelings and stories of his people,” according to the jury's decision. In addition, because in his compositions he "vivifies and sensitizes the Creole English of Limón, a language that characterizes the Caribbean culture of our country, which has been the way to express the beauty of everyday life, popular knowledge and the historical challenges of his region." Finally, he is recognized because "his musical and cultural career at the regional, national and international level is a benchmark of Afro culture in Costa Rica multiethnic and pluricultural." The documentary "Mister Gavitt: The father of Calypso" about the king of the calypso that can be seen in the following link on YouTube*. ---------------- Have you heard the music of
Walter Ferguson the King of the Calypso?
We would like to know your thoughts on
this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com
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