"One has to experience the merger of the artistry of the 'Aldwins' - Aldwin Albino pianist par excellence and Aldwin Roberts (Lord Kitchener) calypso genius and legend, to fully comprehend the magnitude of a magnificent Caribbean musical form - the calypso. This is truly a collector's item."

At first it seems like a movement from Beethoven or Bach, but a discerning calypso connoisseur soon realizes that the melodies rolling off the nimble fingers of pianist Aldwin Albino are clearly hits originally sung by Lord Kitchener.

Albino, a former music teacher of Boissiere RC, Belmont Boys RC, and Calvary RC, has produced an extraordinary CD entitled Calypso in Classics: A Tribute to the Grand Master Lord Kitchener.

This soothing collection of classical music contains ten nostalgic Kitchener hits played on a grand piano. The songs include: "Guitar Pan", "Mother's Day", "Pan in A Minor", "Trouble", "Old Lady Walk a Mile", "Mas in May", "Elsie's River", "The Bees' Melody", "Miss Tourist" and "Mt. Olga", plus an original composition by Albino called "Concerto in C". There's also a medley of the Grand Master's hits.

Albino, who now lives and works as a music teacher at Laurundau-Dunton, a French/English school in Montreal, Canada, first got the idea to play calypso hits in a classical style in 1967.

"The idea wouldn't leave him," says his sister, musician and pan adjudicator Merle Albino-DeCoteau.

Albino was reportedly the first resident pannist on Holly Betaudier's Scouting for Talent and while he had the opportunity to play plenty different types of music, his heart was in calypso.

"He loved to play calypso. In those days, you weren't supposed to play calypso during Lent, so he experimented with the tunes in a classical form," says DeCoteau.

Turning calypso to classics soon became second nature for Albino.

"One time he was playing a very grand and beautiful song at a wedding," says DeCoteau. The guests loved it. Unless you knew your calypso, you wouldn't have guessed he was playing Sparrow's "Drunk and Disorderly".

Over the years, DeCoteau says, her brother found that calypso lent itself very easily to the harmonic structures of the "great masters".

"He found this especially true of Kitchener's calypsoes," says DeCoteau. "Take for instance 'Guitar Pan'. The opening starts off as if he's doing the introduction to Schubert's 'Serenade'. When the melody actually begins, it resembles Chopin's 'Nocturne in E Flat Major'."

DeCoteau says many of the Kitchener classics on this CD resemble parts of Beethoven symphonies and one of her brother's favourite songs is "Elsie's River".

"He thought this song had an unbelievably beautiful and moving melody."

While there are some pan tracks created through the synthesizer in the background, Albino relies on his own innovative interpretation of Kitchener melodies on a grand piano for this CD. The musical motifs are easily recognizable, even when they are adorned with classical runs. While the frills are pleasant diversions, they never stray too far from the original melodies.

Equally impressive is the variety of moods and tones that Albino presents.

The playfulness of calypso sometimes emerges but the songs are, for the most part, elevated to the lofty image which is usually reserved for the classics.

DeCoteau says the reaction to the CD has been tremendous.

"A lot of people find it very interesting and they find it very soothing. People tell me while you wouldn't want to play calypso at every setting, this CD allows you to play calypso even at a candle-lit dinner."

DeCoteau says her brother has had rave reviews from music-lovers in Trinidad, New York, and Canada.

"Even people who aren't familiar with calypso find it very artistic and I think some of them can better appreciate calypso for what it is after hearing this CD."

All the support has encouraged Albino to keep turning calypso into a classical form. He's currently working on another album. This time, he will put together a compilation featuring songs from many different calypsonians. David Rudder is reportedly heading the list.

You can find Albino's CD at Pan Trinbago's office, Simon's and Crosby's.

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