A family band, which has been entertaining persons in the Pomeroon and its environs, is now five years old and its ultimate celebration would be the opportunity to be part of the Carifesta events.
The dream of the band, headed by father Neville Calistro also known as the ‘Mighty Chief’, may become a reality as it is in discussions with Carifesta officials and from the looks of things will feature prominently in the Amerindian village to be created.
The Calibro band, which hails from Kabakaburi in the Pomeroon, Region Two, is made up of a father his five sons and a daughter along with a musician.
Speaking to The Scene recently the senior Calistro related that they got together as a band five years ago following years of him being in the calypso field and performing. He said his son Valdero, who plays the keyboard, learned the skill in the Guyana Police Force.
“We are the singing band and we sing all types of songs, oldies, soca, calypso you name it and we sing it,” Calistro said. He said that for the past few years they have been a feature in the Amerindian Heritage month celebrations and other Amerindian celebrations. And while the band is contracted to the Zenon Hotel at Charity it is also hired out by persons for birthday and wedding celebrations and other functions.
“We perform most of the times but whenever we have some free times we build boats and farm,” he said. Calistro said his daughter, Macema, has followed in his footsteps as he has composed and sang his own calypsos for a number of years with his first public appearance being on April 12, 1976 at Queen’s College during a captain’s conference. He also competed in one calypso competition and has been a part of three Carifesta celebrations as a performer while he took a group of dancers to a fourth one. “So it would be a good thing for me to be part of this one at home. I was part of the first one in Guyana and it is good that it is keeping here again,” he said. He said “The Calimari” is one of his popular tunes and that it is a fusion between Amerindian Mari Mari and calypso.
The other members of the group are Kennedy, Adam, Clews, Robbie and Clive James the guitarist.
