Respect due

Former minister responsible for culture and two-time calypso monarch John King is suggesting that Barbados gives the late calypso icon Singing Francine the recognition she deserves with a fitting memorial.

King was among a number of local entertainers and creatives paying tribute on Friday to the Barbados-born Trinidad calypso queen, who passed away in the United States on Friday morning after suffering a heart attack.

The 79-year-old Singing Francine, whose real name was Francine Edwards went to live in Trinidad as a teen and later became one of the most successful calypsonians in that country, winning the National Calypso Queen competition in 1972, 1973, 1981 and 1983.

She is credited with being an important figure in the development of not only calypso but also parang. The late entertainer is well known for her impactful list of Christmas songs including Christmas is Love, which featured a blend of calypso, soca and parang sounds,  I Love Christmas and Caribbean Christmas.

Among Francine’s most notable releases was Runaway in which she addressed the issue of domestic violence, urging women in abusive relationships to seek help. Some of her other classic parang songs include Hooray, Hurrah, Parang Parang, and Ay Ay Maria.

“First of all let me say condolences to her family, friends and colleagues. The calypso fraternity, not just in Barbados but right across the Caribbean has lost one of its icons and I really hope that here in Barbados we will start to give her the kind of recognition that she deserves as a Barbadian living abroad and making the kind of contribution that she has made to that artform, not just as a performer, but as a human being,” King suggested.

“During the Christmas season she has some songs that are staples all across the Caribbean and I know a lot of people are hurting. It is a sad time. We have lost a number of people, Anthony Waldron, Richard Bourne, and now Singing Francine,” he said.

Singing Francine became a staple performer in the Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent during Barbados’ Crop Over season.

Manager of the tent Eleanor Rice disclosed that next Crop Over, the tent will be paying special tribute to the late musical doyen.

“Singing Francine has always been a staple and was one of the names that I would have grown up hearing. After I took over the All Stars Calypso Tent, I decided that I would bring back some of the faces people were accustomed to hearing about but did not get an opportunity to see.

“Singing Francine was one of the persons that I chose to bring to Barbados. She came up and she performed that night as if she was back in the day…very full of effervescence. She was a force to be reckoned with. We didn’t really have much rehearsal. We just pulled off a beautiful show the night she sang,” Rice recalled.

“I am very saddened to hear of her passing this morning. I wish her daughter and other family members well. I still keep in contact with her daughter, and I hope that they take it in the faith of knowing that she did very, very well in her life, and we would still have to carry on, but her memory will never leave us,” Rice stated in an interview with Barbados TODAY.

Seven-time calypso king The Most Honourable Anthony Gabby Carter said Singing Francine would be sorely missed.

“I spoke to her three weeks ago. She said she had the surgery. She laughed and talked and so on…I was surprised to hear she had passed,”  he said.

“We are all grateful for the contribution she has made to the art form,” the cultural ambassador pointed out.  He also recalled that Singing Francine came from the Brittons Hill, St Michael community and that she was always a singer.

The Barbadian also used her singing talent to tackle social issues, particularly those directly affecting women. In 1975, she sang A Call to Women, encouraging more women to use calypso music as a vehicle of self-expression.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb