Monday, October 4, 2021

PETER RICARDO AND HIS CALYPSO - TAKE HER TO JAMAICA

Peter Ricardo was born in 1916 on the Island of Grenada, his real name was Eustace Fitzgerald Watts. His father was Alfred Ernest Watts. His mother "name unknown", was a south-American Indian "Carib". He was orphaned at an early age around 10 years old and adopted by an English judge, the right honourable B. H. Easter, along with his housekeeper Mrs. Killy Kelly. She taught him to read music and play the piano/guitar. He was educated at the Grenada School for Boys, along with his lifelong friend Sir Sydney Gun Monroe. At the age of 15, he took a job on a cruise liner and one day jumped ship in Southampton "England", around 1932. Shortly after this, he formed his calypso band and worked the night clubs around London. He wrote his own calypsos, they are very much a story of his life in Grenada. An album was recorded around 1950 in England, Peter Ricardo was his stage name and he became a well known calypso artist on the London club-scene. Apart from being a successful musician, he was also a successful hotelier/business man. He died at the age of 91 in the year 2008, leaving six children and a number of grandchildren. Music was his first love and he carried on performing for as long as he was able to. GET IT HERE Enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. This looks right up my street but I haven't come across this gent before.

    Thanks for keeping up so much kind work, Henk

    SF

    ReplyDelete