Frankly Speaking: An Evening of Caribbean Comedy and the Oral Traditions with Rhoma Spencer,
& Humourous Calypso with Roger €˜Rajiman€™ Gibbs
Come and hear Picong, Mauvais Lange, gyaff, ole talk**, and more…
Artword Artbar, 15 Colbourne Street, Hamilton
Saturday December 19 at 8pm, Admission $10 (Call 905-543-8512)
Celebrate the holiday season and warm your hearts with laughter.
**That translates to “sassy insults, spicy gossip, idle chat” — Rhoma takes issues of the day and turns them on their heads, Trinidad-style, with humour and hilarity.
Rhoma is joined by singer and guitarist Roger Gibbs. His critically-acclaimed first solo CD ‘Spirit of Calypso’ is a mix of Caribbean Acoustic original and traditional songs. http://www.spiritofcalypso.com/
Rhoma Spencer
Rhoma Spencer is an award winning actor and director, play creator, comedienne and broadcast journalist from Trinidad and Tobago (TNT). Founder and Artistic Director of Theatre Archipelago, her works has been critically acclaimed in the Globe and Mail, Now Magazine and the Toronto Star. (http://www.theatrearchipelago.ca/)
One of the pioneering women in the annual Paul keens Douglas’ Talk Tent; a post carnival event for the oral traditions and comedy in Trinidad and Tobago, she performed in this forum for nine years before migrating to Canada in 1999.
In 1998, under the sobriquet Lady Spencer, she was a finalist in the International Soca Monarch Competition in Trinidad and Tobago and that year, her chart topping selection, Ring bi ding saw her winning a Sunshine Award in New York for Best Rapso. She then went on further to capture the Best New Artiste in the TNT Music Awards in 2000.
A well sought after MC in the Trinbagonian community in Toronto, Ms Spencer’s brand of comedy prides itself on the Trinbagonian oral tradition of giving fatigue, ole talk and mauvais langue. She takes issues of the day and turns it on its head with a level of humour and hilarity. Rhoma can be seen in the second season of the TV sitcom Da Kink in my hair.
Roger Gibbs
Roger Gibbs moved to Canada from his native Barbados in 1986 and has continued to follow his musical dreams both as an artist and arts administrator. He has been a performing member of COBA (Collective of Black Artists) and is featured on their 1999 CD ‘Danse Bele – The Tradition Lives On’, and has worked with a variety of artists such as Ugandan lokembe master Achilla Orru, Canadian fiddler Anne Lederman, producer/guitarist Tom Graham, and singer/musician Franc Mosbaugh. He was Artistic Director of Worlds of Music Toronto (1998-2000) and has been active in the Caribbean community as Musical Director of Banja (30-member folk choir) and various Toronto-based calypso productions.
In 2000 he released his critically-acclaimed first solo CD ‘Spirit of Calypso’, a mix of Caribbean Acoustic original and traditional songs. His current instrumental CD ‘Calypso Classics on Guitar’ is a tribute to great calypso composers Kitchener and Sparrow and features calypso hits of the 60s and 70s arranged for classical guitar. This year he was the Artistic Director of Caribana, was a past president of the Ontario Calypso Performing Artists and is presently a member of the board.
