The year was 2000 - the dawning of the new millennium. In the up-market suburb of Maraval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, the air was full of new possibilities. In the cafeteria of the futuristic Caribbean Sound Basin recording studios, the neon-rimmed steel drums mounted in the ceiling above shone their chrome light on the musicians below. Seated by himself, Winston Bailey, the seminal calypsonian known as The Mighty Shadow, stared off into the distance. Suddenly, apropos of nothing, and to no one in particular, he declared:
“Is the last days!”
All conversation and idle chatter ceased instantly. Everyone froze. On the rare occasions that the Shadow deigned to speak, it was wise to listen. Serious business was usually afoot.
Still staring into the distance, Shadow frowned. Then his face darkened, as if glimpsing the event horizon of coming events too terrible to contemplate...
“Is the last days, I tell you!”
He slowly lifted his menacing six-foot frame from his seat, His penetrating gaze touched on those to the left and to the right, his bloodshot eyes daring anyone to challenge the obvious truth of his statement. A pause. Nervous glances exchanged. Then a lone voice spoke up - Mr. Pearce, the head of Cassette Duplication. Clearly not in the least intimidated by Shadow’s carefully cultivated reputation of schizophrenic mystery: the calypsonian rumored to be a possible dabbler in the dark arts of Obeah; the black-clad cipher who turned the voices in his head - “the bassman from Hell” - into a monstrous hit record that forever changed the course of calypso.
“Shadow?” asked Mr. Pearce gently. “Why you so? What the ass you mean is the last days?”
“Look!” thundered the Shadow. “God send the mealy bug parasite to kill plants.”
Heads nodded in agreement...
“AIDS! ” The word hung in the morning Maraval air like a death sentence.
“God send AIDS to kill man!”
More nods of agreement. We could all see where this was headed. Or so we thought...
“And...”
His dread gaze alighted on the one-man musical revolution known as Sheldon “$hel$hok” Benjamin...
“... God send little boys with drum machines to kill music!”
Flinging his chair aside, The Shadow stalked out..
Rest in peace, rest in power - Dr. Winston Bailey "The Mighty Shadow"
