This one is a bit personal for me because the 1968 Calypso Monarch of Grenada is from the same village, Clozier, as me and I didn’t realize I grew up in the midst of royalty, a local cultural icon.
Carlton Mitchell (no relation) still resides in Clozier with his Wife, two of his three Children and a Grandchild. Although his calypso days are long past him, the Mighty Hurricane was eagerly awaiting my arrival, guitar in hand anxious to tell the story of a short, but very interesting calypso career. In the early 1960’s as a Villager by the name of Mr. Sonny was preparing to migrate to England, Carlton’s father promised him he would purchase the guitar owned by Mr. Sonny. Hurricane’s self tutoring began minutes after the going away party for Mr. Sonny was over and the guitar that was used to entertain the guests was handed over to the young aspiring musician.
After about 2 years learning to perfect his skills on the guitar Carlton joined a band from Paraclete in St. Andrew named the Bees. He also got valuable exposure to music by hanging around the Rhythm Riders of Birchgrove. By that time Carlton felt motivated enough to begin his own band in Clozier and that thought process gave birth to Tropical 7. The band played at the opening of the Florida Government School and frequented the Cocoa Grove Community Center. It was during that time, Carlton was encouraged to write calypso and compete on a national level.
In his first year of competition, 1966, he placed second behind Mighty Splinto, and as he tells it he should have won the title on that first attempt. In 1967 he placed third, with Melody being the Calypso Monarch that year. In his third year of competition the Mighty Hurricane finally prevailed, bringing calypso supremacy to the agricultural village of Clozier. The Mighty Hurricane lost his mother in that same year and so did not defend his title in 1969, but returned to competition in 1970, where he again placed second, this time to Scaramouche. That was to be the last of the Mighty Hurricane as a calypsonian, having believed he had proven his point that a man can be anything he wants to be and that includes being the Calypso King of Grenada. Interestingly, the prize money for winning the Calypso title in 1968 was $500 but the Mighty Hurricane also collected a further $250 from the Lion’s Club and $250 from the then Premier, Eric Gairy.
Today the Mighty Hurricane is a building contractor, farmer and prominent member of the Clozier Seventh-Day Adventist Church. His advice to the younger generation of Artistes is simple- ‘Let your love and passion drive you, not be motivated by money and greed’.
Dexter Mitchell
This was first penned in October 2012
