Part One
The man we all know as the ABC of calypso is now known as Dr. Alston Becket Cyrus!
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ very own Becket was recently conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters for his work as a legendary Calypsonian/Soca Artiste/Composer.
Everyone here in SVG, the region and the world over are sending congratulations Dr. Cyrus’ way, including some of his colleagues in the music industry. ANN caught up with some of them to get their feelings on Becket’s honorary doctorate.
Mighty Gabby is a Barbadian calypsonian and folk singer, and a Cultural Ambassador for the island of Barbados. In his interview with ANN he expressed just his adoration for Becket not just on a professional level but also on a personal one.
‘In the field of calypso there are some of us who are good, some of us outstanding and then there are the ones who are truly great, and I rate Becket as one of the great ones, because he was never afraid to be creative. If you listen to his work right through, you would see he was mixing different things and trying different things regardless of whatever criticism might come his way.’
Gabby goes on to speak about a time when Becket showed him kindness in a tough time.
‘He was always a very quiet fellow backstage, always willing to help, and on a personal level, there was a year I was in Trinidad to sing and they lost my suitcase and Becket gave me four underwear, brand new in the package, and when I told him about it a few years later, he say well Gabby I can’t remember that at all. It means he gave it from his heart, he wasn’t thinking of that as being something special but for me it was very special because I was just there with whatever I had on, nothing else.
So Becks! Thank you for your love, thank you my brother for all those live performances that we did together and others that we didn’t, thank you for all the recordings, thank you for making St. Vincent proud, wherever you went you always spoke highly of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Thank you for your creativity and all the great songs that you have given us, we cannot repay you.’
Renowned Musician and Producer Adrian Bailey also sent out congratulations and paid tribute to Dr. Cyrus on his latest achievement. He took us on a trip down memory lane, when he looked back on his initial encounter with Becket.
‘First off I would like to say how happy and proud I am to know and have worked with this legendary musical Icon – Dr Alston ‘Becket’ Cyrus ! – An honor truly deserved.
My initial encounter with the legendary ‘Becket’ now Dr Alston Becket Cyrus, dates back to the days of Blacksand when, on his regional tour with the iconic album – Gal ah Rush Me , he contracted the band to do the back stopping.
We were slated to perform in St Lucia and the lead keyboardist had just been fired, so I had to take the spot as well as become the band leader. (No Pressure!)
Becket, the perfectionist that he is, was justifiably concerned, and so he sent Mr Denniston (Dennie) Young (another legend), down from the US, to oversee the rehearsals. Amusingly though, Dennie, after the first few minutes wondered why he was even sent down. We performed in Vieux Fort for the first show and when we were done, some members of the audience were convinced and began arguing that we were playing a CD!
Therein began my long sojourn with the inimitable Alston Becket Cyrus, as we performed on many stages including in the US, Canada and the UK.’
Bailey, like many others that have worked with Becket over the years remarked at his need to get everything he does just right. Due to this quality of his, he has come to be known as a perfectionist by many.
‘There is no other artist that I know of that is so focused on getting every part of his live performance just right, and so, you better be up to the task musically to back him up! I believe that this quality allowed him to soar on the international musical scene and become the genuine Cultural Ambassador that he is.
My second encounter with this living legend was in the recording studio. We (Blacksand) were hired whilst in New York, to record a couple cover tracks as well as one of its own popular tracks – ‘Whistle’. I remember the days spent in the studio half asleep after performing the night before – totally tired. Memories that can never be forgotten.
Subsequently, in the 2000’s, at my studio in SVG – Sky Studios, we recorded the Soca Showdown album, as well as a number of singles, with collaborations in part from another legendary icon Sir Frankie Mcintosh.
I recall quite well one day, a back vocalist came with a lovely smelling perfume scent. However, Dr Becket being the perfectionist that he is, was worried that it would affect his ability to record his own vocals, so he climbed through a window in the live room to avoid the smell.’
The perfectionist Dr. Alston Becket Cyrus! But Dr. Cyrus was not just known for his reputation as perfectionist but also for being a prolific songwriter. Adrian Bailey provides more detail on this aspect of the legendary calypsonian in the next part of his tribute.
‘A more prolific songwriter you would not find. I recall him telling me once that he would journey back to SVG every time he was going to write his songs – something to do with the fresh air and natural ambience. His lyrics were always so craftily presented and never conveyed disrespect of the opposite sex. He wrote about current issues, both serious and jovial, displaying an attention to detail that made him a true master of the craft. In fact, he would come to the studio with a solid structure of his songs, unlike the current dispensation of artistes who are often beat driven.’ Bailey said.
Coming to the end of his tribute to the legendary Calypsonian Dr. Alston ‘Becket’ Cyrus, Bailey said he is very much deserving of the accolade, applauding the ABC of Calypso for his stellar representation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines over the years.
‘In closing, I would like to say that this honorary accolade could not be given to a better Cultural Ambassador than Alston Becket Cyrus. He is and always will be a class act both on and off the stage. He has represented our country with his music excellently for so many years. This is the act that our current stock of musical entrepreneurs need to emulate.
Well Done Dr. Alston Becket Cyrus – Well Done!!’