Roy Cape, the oldest (and some say the best) bandleader in Trinidad and Tobago, has been threatening to retire for the last few years. After 41 years in the music business, he's still around - blowing top brass, keeping younger musicians on their toes and most recently "jamming" us in song as well. U features the "Cape of Good Horn" as the first personality in our series, "The Faces of Carnival".
 

U: What do you think is the most important contribution you've made to T&T's music?

Roy Cape: Well girl, what ah go say? … Fifteen years of Spektakula (Forum). Eighteen years actually, from the Kingdom of the Wizards to Spektakula. My biggest achievement I would say is the type of wages I was able to organize with Claude and Frank (Martineau). Since I left it, the guys are getting decent wages.
 

U: Did you ever have a mentor?

RC: I would say people like Frankie Francis, Beverly Griffith, Ron Berridge.
 

U: Do you have a protégé?

RC: Well, there's Carlyle "Juiceman" Roberts, Kurt Allen, Brian Morris and of course my son Roy. I cah leave he out at all.
 

U: Who do you think is the best musician in this country (other than you, of course)?

RC: I don't even want to put myself first. I would say the most senior musician we have is Pelham Goddard. I call him the senior musician at this point.
 

U: Which artiste do you admire most?

RC: Well, of course Black Stalin. He's my personal friend, and we have a similar lifestyle. The things he would say is the things I would say. But I love all the artistes. They are all special to me.
 

U: What do you love about our music industry?

RC: Being myself. I get to be myself…and the music we play reflects the attitude of our people.
 

U: What do you hate about it?

RC: Well, I wouldn't say hate…but the long struggle and it's not over yet.
 

U: What was the most memorable performance you ever gave?

RC: I would say at the first Bucks Calypso King of the World show where Sparrow won. That was in 1985. Stalin came second. It was at the National Stadium. Up to that point it was the biggest show it ever had in Trinidad. Where you had x amount of Caribbean kings coming to Trinidad. It was the first time the prize was $100,000 so the competition was very intense. We played for the whole competition, for everybody. The preliminaries had 28 people singing two songs each. The semi-finals had 20 people singing two songs each and the finals 11 people with three songs apiece.
 

U: Why did you decide to start singing?

RC: Well, I was motivated by something, which I don't even know. I would have to say is God.
 

U: How old are you?

RC: I will be 57 in April.
 

U: And your dreadlocks?

RC: Twenty-two years.
 

U: Why did you decide to grow them?

RC: I was living in New York City at the time…I was exposed to Edgar Fitzgerald, a musician, and he and his whole family had ras. He was a very good friend of mine and I found they were living a really beautiful family life…then coming to Trinidad…it (Rastafarianism) was already here when I came back home.
 

U: Any other goals before you retire?

RC: I would like to see the music get much wider acceptance in the wider world; that our people who try so hard will reap the benefits. And to continue flying the flag for T&T and putting out good music.
 

U: When are you going to retire?

RC: Hmm…when I die.
 
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