By Lincoln DePradine
In discussions of calypso and soca in Canada and within the Caribbean, and in speaking about disc jockeys and music promoters, it’s uncommon—if ever is the identify, Selwyn Woods, talked about.
“He was a trendsetter,” Ian Gould, popularly often called DJ Dangerous Lad, mentioned in commenting on Woods. “He was the primary promoter in Canada that gave me work as a DJ.”
Woods, who has not been experiencing the very best of well being, shared his historical past within the music enterprise in an unique Caribbean Digicam interview.
“You’re speaking to a fella who survived two strokes and about 30 seizures,’’ Trinidadian-Canadian Woods mentioned within the interview’s opening remark.
He additionally positioned on the desk, in his early remarks, that his spouse Elsa is a Grenadian initially from River Highway in St George’s.
“It’s important to put within the article that I’m married to her over 40 years and she or he by no means carried me to Grenada, eh,” Wooden mentioned with fun.
He recollected taking part in the function of a DJ, together with his personal sound system, utilizing the identify “Mr Magic”.
“I began off as a DJ like Dangerous Lad. I employed Dangerous Lad, who used to play with a man referred to as Orson; they used to name themselves Lightning,” mentioned Woods.
“Individuals used to name me Mr Magic; as a result of, once I was approaching to play, I used to make use of a track from Grover Washington as my theme track and it was referred to as Mr Magic,” her added
“In these days, the one time we had been listening to music that we might establish with was on CHIN Radio on Friday night time and Saturday night time with J.C. McDonald and Jai Ojah Maharaj. Aside from that, we needed to hearken to WBLK out of Buffalo.
For greater than a decade, Woods ran an after-hour membership on a downtown road situated behind Toronto Metropolis Corridor.
“It was the one place you could possibly have gotten liquor one O’clock within the morning. In these occasions, the liquor licence legislation mentioned the bar needed to shut by 12 O’clock,” mentioned Woods.
Till Woods got here up with the thought, calypso competitors was solely males who had been topped “King”. He initiated the Calypso Monarch competitors.
“The primary feminine to sing calypso within the competitors right here was Woman Pearl. The semifinal was held on School Avenue and the ultimate was held on the live performance corridor,” mentioned Woods.
It was a last that that was sponsored by cigarette producer Rothmans, in an settlement negotiated by Woods.
“I went to Rothmans with no appoint and requested to see the supervisor,” mentioned Woods. “The person requested, ‘Mr Woods, how a lot cash you need?’ I mentioned I need $3,000 for the primary prize and later obtained a cheque in that quantity for the Calypso Monarch competitors that was received by Newbie.”
At that yr’s Caribana parade, mentioned Woods, “we had the primary company sponsor. My settlement with Rothmans was that Rothmans be capable of park their truck on the parade route and provides away cigarettes”.
Woods additionally fashioned a gaggle referred to as “Magic Manufacturing”, established the
Calypso Affiliation of Canada, which he led till and election was convened and Henry “Cosmos” Gomez was voted as president and Ian Jones as secretary.
The election was held on the basement of Parkdale Library, the place Rita Cox served as chief librarian.
“By means of the affiliation,” mentioned Woods, “calypso music was acknowledged and have become a class within the Juno Awards. The primary award assigned to calypso was received by Jason Perez.”
Quickly, Woods was approached about plans by others to arrange the Group of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA).
“I mentioned how we go have two calypso organizations? It is not sensible that we have now two organizations,” he mentioned. “So, I signed a doc and the Calypso Affiliation turned defunct and OCPA got here into operation.”
Woods, nonetheless, is crucial of the construction of OCPA, saying the calypso tradition is “deteriorating”.
Woods, who turned 74 final month and is a father and grandfather, additionally ran a document store, “Mr Magic File Shack”, has produced calypso music and has labored with performers equivalent to Toronto-based Ossie Gurley and Connector, in addition to Trinidadians like Anselm Douglas, Iwer George, Preacher and the United Sisters.
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