Alston Cyrus: I have tons of stuff…I am blessed

He has had a career that has spanned over thirty years, yet Alston ‘Becket’ Cyrus looks and sounds the same.{{more}}

Becket, or more commonly known as the ABC of Calypso, may have perhaps shown some of the youngsters at last Friday’s Calypso Semi-Finals, dubbed Fantastic Friday, at the Victoria Park, how to put on an entertaining performance.

For 45 minutes, patrons were treated to some of the artiste’s big numbers including ‘Love is the Answer’, ‘Hesikiah Mad’, ‘Small Pin’ and ‘Teaser’.

Last Friday’s performance was the first since he and Cyril “Scorcher” Thomas performed at the Soca Monarch show in 2010, in tribute to another Vincentian musical icon, Winston Soso.

Many were moved as they reminisced about the old days as the illustrious soca artiste and calypsonian rocked the house, following the performance of the 22 calypso semi-finalists.

In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT, Becket said that he is currently working on getting his previously recorded work copyrighted.

But he however said he hopes to begin recording again by the end of the year.

He said that he hopes to release an album for Christmas 2012 and will be releasing an album in time for the Carnival festivities in 2013.

“I have tons of stuff…I am blessed,” he said.

He attributes his success to having talent, but more importantly to being disciplined.

“I exercise five days a week,” he said, adding that he runs and when he is at home in St Vincent he loves to swim.

But more importantly, he says that his talent is a blessing, however without being properly disciplined, it would count for nothing.

“You get blessed with a talent and the only way you could take that talent seriously is by being disciplined,” he told SEARCHLIGHT.

He said that he takes his craft very seriously and prefers to remain focused before a major performance.

But while Becket has enjoyed a career filled with major successes at home, around the region and across the world, he expressed some disappointment in the manner in which long-time artistes like himself are perceived.

According to Becket, while the younger artistes are all about the typical ‘jump and wave’, he explained that radio has stopped playing some of the older greats, including his music.

“The radio has stopped playing the older music and have now gravitated towards the jump and wave and are saying that the old guys sing kaiso,” Becket explained.

“I went from being a soca artiste to being a kaisonian…but I still move on,” he said.

All hope is not lost, however, as he says that there is some bright and promising emerging talent.

Becket singled out young Orandi ‘Bomani’ Charles as one such individual.

As for other emerging talent, Becket encourages young musicians to remain disciplined and not to be disheartened.

He also advised them to learn to play an instrument.

He explained that while he was in the army, he learned to play the guitar and it was from there that he learned the basics of his craft, one that has gone on for decades and is showing no sign of letting up.