Leroy Calliste, or “Black Stalin,” one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most adored calypsonians, has passed away at the age of 81.
In the presence of his wife Patsy and other family members who had been praying for a miracle, Stalin, 81, passed away at his San Fernando home at 9 am on Wednesday. Stalin never fully recovered from a stroke he had nine years earlier.
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His sister Gloria Calliste and her son Junior confirmed his demise to Newsday, but they declined to provide any other information because they had only learned of it while working at the Point Lisas Customs office.
It was a terrible day for San Fernando and the entire country, according to San Fernando mayor Junia Regrello, who renamed a boulevard in his honor.
“We have lost one of our sons and an iconic calypsonian, a beacon of social issues. He will surely be missed,” Regrello noted.
Executive Director of the South/Central Region of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organization Calliste’s departure, which followed Singing Francine’s untimely passing, has caused the calypso community to experience new sorrow and sadness, according to Steve Pascall, nicknamed Ras Kommanda (Francine Edwards).
The University of the West Indies (UWI) awarded Stalin an honorary doctorate in 2008 for his cultural contributions.
“There has been confirmation of the death of beloved calypso veteran Leroy “Black Stalin” Calliste.
Calliste, who was born on September 24, 1941, rose to fame as a calypsonian by being the first act to win the National Calypso Monarch title in 1979 with Caribbean Man and Play One. This made him a national legend as well as a fixture in his hometown of San Fernando and throughout the nation. In 1985, 1987, 1991, and 1995 he would win the title once more.
2014 saw him have a little stroke. Aside from all of the accolades, titles, and awards he has received in connection with calypso, Calliste also received the Hummingbird Medal (Silver) at the 1987 National Awards ceremony, and he was given an honorary doctorate by the University of the West Indies in St. Augustine in 2008 for his commitment to calypso music and culture in Trinidad and Tobago.
