Musician Joey Rivers will pay tribute to his dad Raymond and musician Errol Ince at a concert titled Oh My Papa.
It has been 13 years since Raymond Rivers passed away, but for his son, Joey, he lives his father’s legacy every day. His father, a luthier by trade (a master musical instrument craftsman who was known for his guitars and cuatros), was the reason why there was music in the house. So it was a perfectly natural choice for his sons Joey and Vincent to follow suit.
[caption id="attachment_1021444" align="alignnone" width="986"] Nigel, Luke and Joshua of Lujo and the Gifted. -[/caption]
“My father was very instrumental in my musical career. He not only showed me how to play, but the passion, the seriousness, the vocation,” Joey said in a media release..
Rivers has taken these elements to create CASTT – Calypso Art Specialists Trinidad & Tobago – which he founded in August 2016. It is a professional music facility focused on enabling the successful careers of upcoming as well as established musicians.
[caption id="attachment_1021445" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Cro Cro and daughter Kerise Rawlins -[/caption]
For Father’s Day, through his music foundation, Rivers presents Oh My Papa – a show of appreciation to the musical fathers at the Little Theatre at SAPA on June 18, San Fernando. The show’s headliner and guest of honour is ace trumpeter, musician, and composer Errol Ince.
Ince’s name is synonymous with the concert’s title because of trumpeting style on his version of this popular song. But he is also revered as a mentor to many musicians, and his musical style is respected in the calypso world. Classics such as Baron’s Sweet Soca Man and the patriotic Sweet T&T as sung by Natasha Wilson are Ince’s compositions.
[caption id="attachment_1021446" align="alignnone" width="683"] Calypso Monarch 2023 Tazyah O’Connor, with his dad, Duane O'Connor.-[/caption]
“Errol has been a father to many of us in the music space. He fathered generations of people in music,” Rivers said. While the show is an appreciation for the beloved musician, Rivers also pointed out that the show is an appreciation to those who have functioned in the role as a father.
“Father’s Day is not only about the biology because, yes, we have some men who have fallen short of their responsibility but for every man who have fallen short – there are ten other men who can come in and fill the blanks. We also want to appreciate the uncles, the godfathers, the big brothers,” he said.
[caption id="attachment_1021447" align="aligncenter" width="197"] Errol Ince -[/caption]
This event, he added, is an opportunity to learn and share in contemporary spaces. There will also be a “big man talk,” looking at men’s issues through edutainment – a theatrical pieces by Fireball, Stephan Reis and Lequacia De Suze. In addition, First Choice Barbershop, owned by calypsonian Heaven “Snakey” Charles, will be available at the show to provide on-the-go grooming.
In addition to Ince, performers include 2023 calypso monarch Tazyah O’Con
