Veteran calypsonian Edwin ‘Crazy’ Ayoung from Trinidad and Tobago has urged Montserrat to make more of an effort to publicly recognise one of soca’s greatest pioneers, Alphonsus ‘Arrow’ Cassell.
In a recent visit to the island to enjoy the festive celebrations, Crazy published a video on Facebook in which he said there is not enough being done locally to honour the late entertainer.
He described Arrow, who died in Montserrat in 2010 aged 60, as writing the “biggest soca of all time” with his song ‘Hot, Hot, Hot’ which was released in 1982.
However, Crazy said the only tribute to the musician he could find during his trip was a small photograph at John A Osborne Airport.
“All they have here in Montserrat is a little photograph and you need a ladder to climb up to see it. I don’t want to see that,” he said.
He said that Arrow should be recognised in Montserrat in a similar way to how Bob Marley is celebrated in Jamaica, adding: “I have intentions of bringing a statue here.”
By 2 January, the Facebook post had gone viral with 487 shares, 3.2 thousand likes, and 233 comments.
One commenter said: “It’s a shame a lot of these islands. They don’t put up a statue or plaque while the person is alive or to name a plaque, street, park, statue etc. after them.”
Another wrote: “Well said Crazy! Really shameful, we need to embrace and celebrate our true icons.”
A third comment read: “Leave someone from another country to come to Montserrat to build a statue for our hero would be so embarrassing. Y’all better build that statue before this man have to do it.”
In 2016, the government awarded Arrow the Order of National Hero posthumously for his outstanding contribution to culture in the field of calypso, and international achievements in the genre of soca.
In March, last year, the government unveiled a permanent portrait of Arrow outside Montserrat Secondary School.
Jermaine Wade of Montserrat Arts Council said it was “more than mere art”, adding that it is a symbol of national pride, a tribute to a life of extraordinary service and a reminder of Montserrat’s ideals.
Arrow can be credited as “putting this little dot – Montserrat – on the map”, he said, calling him a “giant of a man”.
Crazy, who is in his 80s, has been a calypso and soca performer since the mid-1970s and is best know for his hit record ‘Nani Wine’ which was released in 1989.
In 2013, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation named Crazy in a list of the top 50 calypsonians of the 20th century.
Crazy is prolific on social media, posting several videos a day on his public Facebook page.
Watch Crazy’s Facebook video in full below:
