(Trinidad Guardian) A concert was scheduled to be held next month to celebrate the 75th birthday of calypso icon Explainer (Winston Henry).
“It was supposed to be his diamond jubilee. Would you believe I already printed tickets, and paid for the place everything but he just did not make it through,” Explainer’s daughter and manager Stageann Mason said yesterday.
Around 1.38 pm yesterday, Mason received a call saying that Explainer, who was born on November 13, 1947, had died at the Port-of Spain General Hospital. He was unresponsive after a CT scan.
Explainer had been at the hospital since Wednesday after he went into a diabetic coma.
Mason said she is now considering changing the concert to a memorial for her father.
“Somebody told me maybe I should still have it and call it ‘In memory Of’ because he was very big on that. He was already rehearsing,” Mason said.
Mason said Explainer has a collaboration coming out.
“I will leave the surprise for you all when it comes out. He did everything he had to do for 2023 already,” she said.
Mason described Explainer as the “best dad, number one.”
“He was a very jocular person. He liked a lot of youth; he was big on trying his best to bring the artform back to how it was. What he did was he believed in the fabric of society, which are the younger ones,” Mason said.
The Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) yesterday issued a statement honouring Explainer.
“Explainer started singing calypso in the year 1969, which gave him a lifelong career of 43 years, and shot to fame when he joined an Ace Producer Rawlston Charles, who produced memorable tunes like Ras Mass and the immortal Lorraine, just to name a few. Lorraine, that highly infectious song, was indeed a hit with locals and fans abroad. In fact, Lorraine made it to the British charts at position number 35,” it stated.
In 2018, Explainer was the recipient of the Hummingbird Medal-Gold for his contribution to the cultural artform.
Explainer was last attached to Kaiso House Calypso Tent and was a member of the TUCO calypso monarch adjudication committee.
Calypsonian Crazy (Edwin Ayoung), who was carded to perform at the event next month, titled “Euphoria Explainer’s Diamond Jubilee,” posted a tribute to Explainer.
“We were selected by Mr Sylvester (Syl) Taylor, the manager of the Sparrow’s Original Young Brigade Calypso Tent on Wrightson Road, Port- of-Spain, after auditioning among many calypsonians in 1972 and got a chance to be on the same cast with the Mighty Sparrow – Calypso Rose – Lord Shorty – Lord Melody – Cypher – Prince Valiant – Bill Trotman – Tobago Crusoe – Lord Pretender – Mighty Terror – Saga and many others.. He will be surely missed not only by me but lots of calypso lovers,” he stated.
In July, Guardian Media’s Carisa Lee interviewed Explainer after his hit song Lorraine was again thrown into the global spotlight four decades after its original release.
That was his last interview with this media house.
And yes, Lorraine (not her real name) is based on a true story. Explainer said exactly how the song described it was how it played out in his life at that time. His favourite lyrics are “Baby, my mind is made up Airport Kennedy will be my next stop. Doh cry and try to convince me. Because meh suitcase done pack already.”
“When I was about to come back home for Carnival when I told her I going home she start to cry. In most cases, you find people get together and they have to separate because of their situation,” he reminisced then.
