Cultural icon Dave Martins passes away. – Photo: Annette Arjoon Facebook page
Calypsonian and leader of the band The Tradewinds David ‘Dave’ Anthony Martins has died at age 90.
His wife Annette Arjoon confirmed his passing in a Facebook post on Sunday, writing, “Eternally grateful to have shared fifteen years of unconditional love, support, and especially shared passions for everything Guyanese with my soulmate.”
Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali also issued a statement, saying he is “deeply saddened to hear of Martins’ passing”.
“Dave’s talent, passion, dedication and patriotism were truly inspiring, and his legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched,” Ali said.
Many have taken to social media to express their heartfelt condolences and give tribute to Martins, originally from Guyana and who made Cayman his home for more than 20 years. He established his footprint in Cayman’s music and culture scene, creating the popular theatre comedy revue ‘Rundown’ in 1991, which would raise generations of Caymanian performing artists.
In a Facebook statement on Monday, the Ministry of Heritage said the cultural icon left an “indelible mark” on Caymanian culture and heritage.
“As the creator of the beloved comedy revue Rundown, Dave brought both laughter and reflection to our community, showcasing our unique stories and humour. His contributions to music, particularly with The Tradewinds, resonated throughout the Caribbean,” the ministry said.
The Cayman National Cultural Foundation expressed “profound sorrow” on the passing of Martins, calling him “an extraordinary Caribbean cultural visionary and leader” who “blended dynamic rhythms with poignant social commentary”.
“Beyond music, Dave’s contributions to the Cayman Islands’ culture was immeasurable,” the foundation said, noting his work to establish the Batabano carnival with Rotary and designing Cayfest.
“His leadership extended to his roles as Chairman of the Cultural Foundation, Executive Director of the Pirates Week National Festival, and President of the Cayman Music & Entertainment Association,” the foundation added.
“Dave Martins was a true Caribbean son, and his loss is felt not only in Guyana and the Cayman Islands but throughout the entire region. His legacy will live on in his music, his writings, and the many cultural institutions he helped build. We offer our deepest condolences to his family and all who were touched by his remarkable life.”
Former CNCF artistic director Henry Muttoo, who worked closely with Martins for more than 40 years, told the Compass that Martins was “a deceptively uncomplicated visionary whose work as artist, musician, poet, journalist, actor, cultural advisor, editor and author, carry all the nuances of the creative process”.
He added, “I have lost one of my closest friends and Cayman, a man who, for twenty-five years, made this land his home, became Caymanian and made signal contributions to our cultural development and preservation. Only in his native Guyana, where remains a National Cultural Treasure, is Dave more loved than he is, in Cayman. This speaks volumes about the meaning of Caymankind.
“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.
Body of music
Martins was widely known for singing, producing and performing with The Tradewinds, which he formed in 1966. Over the years, the band, which also included members Jeff Japal, Richard Terry, Clive Rosteing and Harry Cupid, became a household name and released popular hit songs, including ‘Not a Blade of Grass,’ ‘Guyana Coming Back,’ ‘Cricket in the Jungle,’ and ‘West Indian Alphabet’.
Fans across the Caribbean and North America were touched by the sounds and rhythms of their music, which embodied Caribbean storytelling, culture and sayings.
Cayman’s Swanky Kitchen Band paid tribute to Martins, whose idea for a new generation of kitchen band performers “started out as a tiny seed which landed on fertile soil”.
“Swanky Kitchen Band owes its very existence to a phone call between Mr. Dave and Samuel Rose in August of 2003 where he suggested that Samuel get together with Nicholas Johnson and Daniel Augustine to keep the kitchen band genre alive,” the band told the Compass.
“His fear was that without the younger generation’s involvement, this uniquely Caymanian art form would be lost forever. It is perhaps a touching end to the story that he has passed 21 years to the month of that initial conversation,” the band stated.
“We owe Mr. Dave a tremendous debt of gratitude and consider ourselves a part of his incredibly rich musical legacy. We extend our sincere sympathies to all of his family, friends and the surviving members of the Tradewinds.”
In 2014, Martins was awarded the Pioneers Award at the National Heroes Day celebration for significant cultural contributions to the Cayman Islands from 1960 to 2003. In 2022, Martins was also conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Guyana.
A lasting impression
Matt Brown, an original cast member of ‘Rundown’ and creator of the ‘Wha Happening’ comedy show, told the Compass, “I grew up watching Dave on stage, and his signature mannerisms, unique voice, and easygoing style left a lasting impression on me.
“It has been an honour to be part of the ‘Rundown’ story created by Henry Muttoo and Dave Martins, and I hope that our spin-off, the ‘Wha Happening’ show, upholds the same standard of comically addressing the issues and topics our community needs to confront. Dave’s work and music will endure, and I hope that future generations of young Caymanians will feel the same spark when they hear his lyrics,” Brown said.
Actress and original cast member of ‘Rundown’ Rita Estevanovich told the Compass it was a “pleasure” performing with Martins over the years.
“We had an unforgettable time with him and Ms. Consuelo, Mr. Herbie, Mr. Alan and many others. We were all like family and no matter what rifts came between us, you found us back to do it all again the following year,” Estevanovich said.
“Mr. Martins was always kind to me, and we shared in our sentimentality. I teared up one day after he sang, ‘That’s Cayman’ and he overcame to me and said, ‘Never lose that about you.’ May he continue to strum the cuatro and bring joy to all in the afterlife.”
A childhood musical idol
As a close friend of Martins, Morgan DaCosta recalled to the Compass that he met Martins as teenager going to his dad’s gas station to buy fuel for his car.
“I remember the first day that he pulled up and said, ‘fill it up please’, I was star struck! I had grown up listening to his music in our family home, seen him when he performed on stage but now, he was asking me to fill up his car in real life. From that moment on he was a friend, and I was the coolest because I [met] the lead singer for The Tradewinds.”
DaCosta shared that he ran into Martins years later and had the opportunity to audition for ‘Rundown’, for which he acted and sang alongside his “childhood musical idol for 17 years”.
“A trailblazer he was and had a consciousness about the Caribbean and the place we held in the world as a collective Caribbean nation. His music told the stories of the region. I will miss him,” DaCosta said.
“We have a body of work to hold on to for generations, and I am glad to have played a little part in it.”
Martins’ wife announced on social media that a private funeral and a public memorial will be held at a later date.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comments from Henry Muttoo.
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Publish date : 2024-08-19 18:00:00
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