National Action Cultural Committee
#40 Duke Street, Port-of-Spain Tel: 623-5470 / 305-6621
e-mail: njacc@tstt.net.tt
4th March 2009
For Immediate Release
MEDIA RELEASE
Roy Cape, founder and leader of the Roy Cape All Stars will be honoured at the National
Action Cultural Committee’s 25th Annual “Kings Go Forth” on Sunday 8th March, 2009 at the
SWWTU Auditorium, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain .The post-carnival review concert begins
at 5.00pm.
“Kings Go Forth” is an opportunity for the general public, visitors and locals alike, to
appreciate the best compositions and performances of Carnival 2009. Each year artistes welcome
this occasion to review the Calypso season, and they find profound relaxation in the noncompetitive environment.
Since 1993 the NACC has honoured a veteran musician each “Kings Go Forth” . The list
reads like a Who’s’ Who of musicians in Trinidad & Tobago and it includes such eminences as
Ed & Angela Johnson, Joe “Chet” Sampson, Kelvin “Choy” Aming, Ralph Davies, Pete de
Vlugt, Mano Marcellin, Cito Fermin, Norman “ Tex “Williams, Watty Watkins, Rupert
Nurse, Joycelyn Pierre, Fitzroy Coleman, Frankie Francis and Fitzgerald Henry (the
Mighty Terror).
His official bio notes that Roy Cape began his music career almost forty nine years ago,
developing the art he learnt in the orphanage, where he spent part of his early childhood.
Though Roy often refers to this period as one of the heaviest in his life, it is also the time
when he first recognized his deep love for music. From playing the teelpan he went on to the
clarinet, and finally to the saxophone, but his forte is the alto saxophone.
His experience as a professional musician with local brass bands began in the 1960’s;
when Cape joined ‘Sir’ Frankie Francis, often regarded as the grand master of calypso music. He
then joined Clarence Curvan’s Orchestra, moved on to Ron Berridge Orchestra and finally to
Sparrow’s Troubadors.
These orchestras mainly played dance music of the day; local Calypsos, Boleros, Sambas,
Fox Trot, Rock and Roll, Twist and whatever was contemporary and popular.
Soon Roy felt it was time to move on and in the early seventies he lived in New York,
playing American and popular Caribbean music.
During his seven-year sojourn in the Big Apple, Roy Cape teamed up with Neville Oxley
– Trombone – Micheal Tobas – Drums – Ron Berridge. He reformed the Ron Berridge Orchestra
in the U.S.A. and also played with Hugh Hendricks and the Blues Busters of Jamaica.
But the call of calypso was so strong that he decided to return home in 1977. Even then,
Kaiso and Soca music were evolving and so too Roy Cape was experimenting. Under his
watchful eye the Roy Cape All Stars were born and shaped into a force to be reckoned with
worldwide.
The NACC is proud to dedicate the 25th Annual “Kings Go Forth” to Roy Cape, an
outstanding contributor to music in Trinidad & Tobago.
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