The original members of the legendary band The Tradewinds reunited at the Harquail Theatre Sunday night for the ‘Echoes of a Legend: A Tribute to Dave Martins’ concert to celebrate its former band leader who passed away last month at age 90.
The event took attendees back to the music that echoed throughout Martins’ musical career as songwriter, singer and musician.
Taking part in the musical tribute were former band members Harry Cupid (drums), Jeff Japal (keyboard), Richard Terry (bass guitar) and Burmon Scott (guitar). Band member Clive Rosteing, drummer and vocalist, was not in attendance. Various Caymanian singers also performed.
The audience clearly enjoyed the 30-minute set, with people tapping their feet, bobbing their heads, dancing and singing along to the band’s most popular hits, including ‘Civilization,’ ‘Blade Ah Grass,’ ‘Play de Ting’ and ‘Copycat’.
The band was among several musical tributes at the event, which honoured the life and legacy of Martins.
Swanky Kitchen Band serenaded attendees with original and traditional songs, including ‘House Nah No Home’, ’Southeast by South’ and ’Memories’. The band’s beginnings can be traced to Martins, who encouraged fiddler Samuel Rose to preserve Cayman’s musical heritage.
Martins’ signature humour was also celebrated, with Michael McLaughlin and Jevaughnie Ebanks performing the skit ‘Learning Caymanian’, from his iconic creation, the satirical comedy revue Rundown. The performance was courtesy of Martins’ long-time friend and collaborator, Henry Muttoo.
The concert also featured a powerful dance performance of Martins’ classic song, ‘Caribbean Man,’ which was choreographed by Melisha McField, director of Dreamchasers Cayman.
Between the performances there were video tributes which took attendees down memory lane. The videos featured close friends and associates from the cultural sector within Cayman and the wider Caribbean, whose lives were impacted by Martins.
Among the people paying homage in the videos were Isaac Rankine, his former wife Angela Martins, Martyn Bould, Muttoo, Morgan DaCosta, Craig Merren, Brent McLean, Samuel Rose, Vashti Bodden, Mona Meade, Blake Hurlston, and Leroy Holness.
“Dave was a deceptively uncomplicated visionary whose work as artist, musician, poet, journalist, actor, cultural advisor, editor and author, carried all the nuances of the creative process,” Muttoo, former artistic director of Cayman National Cultural Foundation, said in his video.
“For as much as Dave was admired in the region, only in his native Guyana was he admired more than in the Cayman Islands … Dave loved this country. As late as a year ago, he told me how much he wished he could return to Cayman for one final visit. He never made it in the flesh, but I assure you, he is here in spirit and in the tremendous contributions he has made to our cultural development,” Muttoo said.
Bould, a former CNCF chairman, noted, “My journey at CNCF over the past 40 years has enriched my life beyond measure, and Dave’s contribution to understanding the delicate nuances of our Caymanian culture and its recognition and development are well illustrated in his foreword to Miss Lassie’s book ‘My Markings’ in 1994: ‘This book has another purpose in the work of cultural retention because it demonstrates that, in the face of massive external influences, the essence of Cayman, albeit under threat, is not completely overwhelmed. The evidence is there. It is not immense and not always visible –sometimes, as in the case of Miss Lassie, we have to go behind the breadfruit trees to find it – but it is there.’”
‘The first man I ever loved’
Attendees were brought to tears as one of Martins’ children, Janine Martins, delivered a moving tribute, offering insight into his life as a family man, including the “very strong relationship” she had with him. She also spoke of her father bringing touches of Guyana to his Caymanian home as well as filling it with Caymanian art and, as she discovered during her travels, the impact Martins had on people around the world.
“He was so proud to be West Indian. Nothing brought him more joy than sharing his culture … He was so loved because he gave so much of himself. He was the first man I ever loved, the first friend I ever had, and I’m so grateful that we all got to know him and love him,” she said.
‘Legacy lives on’
Natalie Urquhart, CNCF chief executive officer, said that Martins “arrived in Cayman in the 1980s when our formalised cultural infrastructure was still fledging. It was a time of rapid economic and social change, and traditional ways of life and cultural norms were threatened.
“From the very start, he was passionate about helping Cayman become the vibrant and culturally confident country that we are today – a country that is deeply aware of its unique cultural roots, while embracing of change. He tirelessly championed this balance throughout his life’s work, both at the individual and institutional level, inspiring many of us here today to do the same.
“The impact of this contribution is difficult to quantify given its shear breadth, but his legacy lives on in his music, his writings and the many cultural organisations he helped build,” Urquhart said.
Champion of Caribbean culture
During his more than 20 years living in Cayman, Martins played an integral role in shaping its cultural landscape. Among his many contributions, he established the Batabano carnival with Rotary, designed CNCF’s Cayfest programme, created Rundown and Gimistory, and was executive director of Pirates Week.
Culture Minister Dwayne Seymour, in his address to the audience, said, “Through his music, his plays, his involvement in cultural institutions, he shaped the identity of this nation and gave us a voice that resonated across the Caribbean and beyond.”
Noting Martins’ connection to Pirates Week, he said, “As we move forward, we must honour the giants like Dave Martins who came before us. In that spirit, I am dedicated to ensuring that Pirates Week 2024 will be something that honours Dave’s legacy in the best way possible.”
Seymour revealed this year’s Pirates Week theme, ‘Setting Sail Through Time’, noting, “This theme encapsulates the forward momentum of our festival, inviting all of us to embark on a journey that spans centuries, eras and traditions. It speaks to our rich history and the timeless adventurous spirit of Cayman, a perfect celebration as we reflect on 47 years of Pirates Week and the lasting legacy of legends like Dave Martins.”
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