Calypsonian and businessman, Joseph Invader Hughes was a great person, a true calypsonian, a dapper dresser, nice, helpful and kind.
Those were the sentiments expressed by the people who spoke with the Saturday Sun following his passing on Thursday afternoon at the age of 75. Hughes, who was ailing for some time, would have celebrated his 76th birthday yesterday.
Former House of Soca tent mate and former Pic O De Crop (PODC) Monarch Elenza Serenader Brewster said their relationship went way back and they always kept in touch. However, in recent time as he was sick, he spoke to Hughes’ widow Caroline, checking to see how she was.
“What I could tell you about him is he was one of the best human beings as a calypsonian that I have ever worked with. He was too nice. I can’t believe that he gone,” he said sadly. Stating he would miss his friend, he noted that Hughes “had done so many tunes that Barbadians never hear”.
House of Soca’s manager Sharon Carew-White, who took over the running of the tent from Hughes in the early 2000s, said despite not being an active participant in Crop Over or the tent in recent years, he was still involved and assisting.
Sharing many stories about his kindness and his insights, she said he listened to the calypsos from the cast and made suggestions as necessary, helped with sponsorship if needed using his connections and because “writing was his passion” he also wrote songs for Amasing Dre and Chad Sir Ruel Bowen.
“The House of Soca is deeply saddened by his passing. He was such an important person to all of us. We have an award in his honour, the Joseph Hughes Award, which goes to the most improved calypsonian in the tent. Last year’s recipients Quon and Doyenne were able to go to Trinidad for the cross-cultural collaboration trip we had during carnival this year.
“He was also involved in that trip making calls and telling us who we had to see or talk to when we got to Trinidad and Tobago. We are happy that we were able to give him his flowers before he died. He will be missed,” she said.
Hughes came to Barbados from Trinidad in 1975 and four years later entered the Pic O De Crop competition with Quo Vadis Caribbean, a song that calypsonian, David Kid Site Piggott described as “way ahead of its time”.
Kid Site, the 1991 PODC monarch from Battleground Tent, was beaten by Hughes in the 1992 competition with his two popular songs Time and How Yuh Feel (Raise Yuh Hand).
“His material was far, far, far superior to what you got today. He had melodic depth, the emotion was deep, it was the provoking kind of material . . . . He was a formidable opponent on the Pic O De Crop Finals stage.
“He had a lot of songs dealing with reflection, thought provoking songs – Bring Down The Wall, I Believe, which was my favourite, Naked Truth . . . Dollars Without Sense.
“He reflected a lot of the characteristic of the calypsonian who was something of an educator, social commentator, historian and a storyteller. He embodied all the assets of the calypsonian,” said Kid Site who also won PODC three consecutive years.
Former calypsonian and two-time PODC monarch, Senator John King, remembers Hughes whom he first met in his early days in calypso, as “a gentleman who took time out to help me to understand calypso, to understand the range or the potential of my voice at that particular point in time and to also encourage me to think outside of the box whenever I was going to do anything and not to worry too much about trying to be all things to all people, but to be true to myself”.
Sir Ruel recalled meeting Hughes in 2008 and that he wrote him a political commentary called The Report Card. He said “the level of his writing was so different from any other calypsonian. He was just in a class on his own.” He said his former mentor also wrote Not My Vote which got him into the PODC Finals in 2017.
President of the Barbados Association of Creatives and Artistes, Sean Carter, extended “sincere condolences to Joe’s family and loved one and by extension to the House of Soca family and the calypso fraternity” on behalf of the association.
“Joe will definitely be missed. He was an inspiration and a mentor to many as a person, as a businessman, as a calypsonian.
“He was always cheerful, always bright, always classy, professional, whether it was business or in the calypso arena. A really great guy who was loved and respected by all,” Carter said. (GBM)
