Sugar Aloes intent on preserving Kitch's legacy

Sugar Aloes intent on preserving Kitch's legacy
Opoku Ware, Trinidad Express, Story Created: Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 11:59 PM ECT
http://www.thetobagonews.com/news/Sugar_Aloes_intent_on__preserving_Kitch_s_legacy-158003225.html

Michael Osuna (Sugar Aloes) sat back stage in the artiste room awaiting his turn to perform at the Peoples Partnership 2nd anniversary celebrations in Tobago last week Saturday night.

It was there he gave an exclusive interview to the Tobago News on his life in calypso and his decision to perform at the two Partnership celebrations.

The two times national Calypso Monarch revealed that he has been in the calypso business for the past 31 years. During those 31 years, he has made the national calypso finals on 24 occasions including 15 consecutive years, certainly no mean feat in calypso kingdom.

Aloes who ranks as one of the greatest exponents of the art of rendering social and political commentaries traced his time as a singer back to his early childhood in Port of Spain. He spoke of it this way, "As a young boy I would walk down Charlotte Street and buy copies of songs which used to sell for ten cents. I would go to my home and learn these songs and sing them." He continued, "At that time, I was attending the Nelson Street Boys School and my teacher was Hollis Liverpool (Chalkdust). He recognised my talent and placed me in the school choir and from then I never looked back."

The young Aloes made his mark as a performer through the Best Village competitions and after that it was on to the calypso Tent. As he recalled, " I began my calypso career at the then Galaxy Tent; then I moved to the Syl Taylor's managed Original Young Brigade Calypso Tent, then it was on to Sparrow's Tent and finally, I settled at Kitchener's Revue Tent.

The sweet singing bard has unleashed telling calypso punches to political parties opposed to the PNM. The NAR, UNC and lately the PP have all had their share from Aloes' stinging commentaries. However, at this point in his career, he is the manager of the Kitch Revue Calypso Tent and he is intent on ensuring the preservation of the great legacy of Kitchener.

As he explained, "next year, the Calypso Revue Calypso Tent will be 50 years old and we intend to celebrate this historic achievement. Therefore, I as manager must deal with the government of the day."

He added, "The Revue Tent is now an institution of our national art form and we are seeking government's assistance in having a permanent site for the tent so that in addition to staging calypso shows, we would be able to achieve the history of all calypsonians and the art form."

He further revealed, "The intention is to seek to get the highest national award for Kitchener which he was never given during his lifetime and we will also be staging a number of events to mark the 50 years of the Kitchener's Revue Calypso Tent.