Mighty Gabby
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| Mighty Gabby | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Barbados |
| Genre(s) | folk, ringbang, calypso |
| Years active | 1968 - present |
| Label(s) | Ice Records |
| Website | http://www.icerecords.com/Gabby1.htm |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Vocal, guitar | |
Anthony "Mighty Gabby" Carter (born March 30, 1948) is a legendary Barbadian calypsonian and the Cultural Ambassador for the island of Barbados. He is the youngest calypsonian to win the calypso crown in Barbados at age 19 in 1968 and went on to win the Calypso king title again in 1969, 1976, 1985, 1999, 2000. He has penned over 700 songs and was awarded Folk Singer Of The Year in 1977, 1978 and 1979.
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[edit] Career
The "Mighty Gabby" has been writing and singing calypso music for over 30 years, and is known for his satirical songs criticizing politicians and cultural trends. He won the first ever Crop-Over road march title in 1979 with "Burn Mr. Harding" and again in 1982 with "Jack" (dah beach is mine). He received the 2005 Clement Payne National Hero Award and awarded the Living Legend Award at the first ever Barbados Music Awards in January 2006. He is a vocal Pan-Africanist.
[edit] Witty Lyricist
A crafty lyricist, Gabby’s no-holds-bars lyrics made him the "whipping boy" of politicians who consistently and persistently tried to stifle his expression. But through it all Gabby has triumphed in the court of public opinion. The "verdicts" in his favor are measured to exactness as people from all over the Caribbean and North America respond with frenzied actions to his music.
[edit] Master Melody-Maker
He is one of the most creative melody makers working alongside a bevy of regional arrangers including Frankie McIntosh, Eddy Grant, Andy Williams, Nicholas Brancker, Mike Sealy and the late `Patches' Mendoza. There are no two songs in his 700 collection that echoes the other. Some of his most exciting experimentations are the following: "Rock" (a funk, rap and kaiso mixture with Gabby radically changing his vocals: Album: `Til Now, 1990); "Send an Answer" For We (first performed in the Pic-O'-De-Crop semifinals 1993, featuring strong baritone vocals floating alongside a chorus played under a minor key -- one of the few kaisos (or calypsoes) where this is attempted, most remembered in Mighty Sparrow's "Slave"); "Make Good Music" (a melodic plea to fellow kaiso musicians to create lasting melodies -- this one played around with keys and instrumentation and perhaps it will be remiss not to mention the 1997 winning tunes "Massa Day Done" and "No Sympathy" in this vein); and "Who Gabby Tink He Is" (1985 hit where the music and vocals make for wonderful harmonic riffs atop a flowing, whistling melody. Non-calypso lovers are known to be simply drawn to the music. Topped only by his "Emmerton".)
[edit] The Unpublished Recordings: At His Mercurial Best
Anthony `Mighty Gabby' Carter has created a number of gems that are unrecorded and constitute part of the public work he puts out as a contribution to the island's national summer festival (known as Crop Over). There are countless hits he has penned for others like "Victory" sung by T.C (Terencia Coward) in 1996; "Admiral" sung by the promising Ian Webster in 2003 (who has since took up missionary work with his Church); "Mulatto" sung by Tony (`Commander' now `Poser') Grazette back in 1985; and "Crop Over Coming" sung by Anderson `Blood' Armstrong in 2006 that are part of the pantheon of songs Barbadians most enjoy. Some of the calypsoes that have slipped into obscurity because these were not recorded on wax or vinyl but were impactful in the Calypso Tents or other venues at the time of release include: "Parks and Terraces" (1992); "Village Music" (a guitar version offered to radio deejay Anthony `Admiral' Nelson, circa 2004; "Wuk Up" (2000)(which belts out "De Highway Belong to We" in response to that aspect in the debate about decency in revelry that denigrates dance with the use of the pelvic area -- a song oddly enough that hardly gets airplay); "Blackman" (1990); "Black Man Wake Up" (1998); and "Riots in De Land" (1978). A great exponent of picong (a free style singing repartee performed impromptu), a guitarist, a playwright (wrote "Under the Duppy Parasol" and various other plays performed in New York and Barbados, and a humanist, his seeming Pan Africanist sympathies had more to do with reappraising the role and symbolism of Africa in any discussion about Caribbean self-making. For him, the drum sound was crucial to the making of postcolonial consciousness.
[edit] Film Appearance
Gabby starred in the multi-award winning documentary 500 Years Later (2005) staring Maulana Karenga , Muhammed Shareef , Francis Cress Welsin , Kimani Nehusi, Paul Robeson Jr , Nelson George, and many more. The film was written by M.K. Asante, Jr. directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah.
[edit] Nigerian Chief
Anthony Gabby Carter was named a Nigerian chief, which symbolises that he is head of a community or clan and is a source of authority. His elevation was celebrated by the Sons of God Apostolic Spiritual Baptist Church in Ealing Grove, Christ Church, where a special service was held in his honour. It was conducted by Archbishop Granville Williams. Gabby, who recently visited Nigeria, was given the name Omowale, which means "our son has returned". The service was also to coincide with the United Nations designated Black Civilisation Day, which was commentated on Saturday.[1]
[edit] Song sample
Mighty Gabby's "Government Boots"
[edit] Selected songs
- - Black Man Wake Up
- - Boots
- - Hit It
- - Cadavers
- - List, The
- - West Indian Politician
- - Culture
- - Emmerton
- - Gisela
- - Pow Pow
- - Bridgetown
- - Boo Boo Man
- - Dr Cassandra
- - Debra
- - Jack
- - Windforce
- - Burn Mr. Harding
- - Chicken And Ram
- - Lord Nelson
- - Black Man Wake Up
- - Inez
- - FLying Fish Diplomacy
- - Miss Barbados
- - Roberta Flack
- - Jouvert Morning
- - Massa Day Done
- - Cockfight
- - Country Boy
- - Easy Come Easy Go
- - Rock
- - Sweeter Than You
- - Now For Now
- - In De Savannah
- - Well Done
[edit] Further reading
- Millington, Janice (1999). "Barbados", Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Vol. 2. Routledge, pp 813 - 821. ISBN 0-8153-1865-0.
Dr. Don D. Marshall, Senior Research Fellow, University of the West Indies. Drawn from primary sources and included interviews/discussions with Mighty Gabby first in 1988, then much later between 2004-2006.
[edit] References
- ^ Gabby named Nigerian chief. Barbados Daily Nation News. Retrieved on 2007-01-08.
