On Fatherhood and Filmmaking

For a few moments during a ten-hour event that showcased and highlighted Caribbean development in filmmaking, the Mighty Sparrow swooped down as the main attraction.

Calypso songs by the Mighty Sparrow resonated with an American audience from around the Caribbean, as the singer and his daughter Karen entered the room. His songs tell the story of a people's progress, politics, and personal development through baritone ballads. They incite humor and evoke memories of the Caribbean's colorful past just like the films that were highlighted and showcased on June 11th, during the Caribbean Tales New York Film Showcase at Long Island University in Brooklyn.

To his daughter Karen though, the Mighty Sparrow is just a father. Her father. "He's my superhero," she said. "It's like magic, every day when I'm with him."

Born on the island of Grenada, Sparrow was named Slinger Francisco by his family who later moved to Trinidad. It was here in the birthplace of the music festival, Carnival, that Sparrow rose to stardom as a King Calypsonian.

The music Calypso has words like poetry, sometimes spontaneous, improvised, and turned into a slow, rhythmic song. During the festival or carnival, one Calypsonian would battle another thrilling the audience with their wit as they outdid each other. It is this music that has evolved into contemporary Soca. Calypso music moves dancers to wind their waistline to the slow and mellow beat, while soca makes them jump-up, jump-up and wind.

"Calypso Dreams" by Geoffrey Dunn and Michael Horne was one of the films screened at the event. It featured interviews with the great Calypsonians, identifying them as dying breed.

Caribbean filmmakers were onsite showcasing their work and networking with each other. An organization called CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution organized this free event which began at noon and ended at 10 p.m. Panelists for one discussion hailed from Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, Jamaica and Barbados. Their films are as diverse as the heritage of the filmmakers with titles like these: "The Other Side of Water," "The Journey of a Haitian ra-ra band in Brooklyn," "Jerk Chicken," "Dominion," and "Fire in Babylon."

All these films can be purchased through CaribbeanTales-Worldwide.com. Some are available on American television through On-Demand. Others, like a movie "Kingston Paradise," which is set in Jamaica, can be googled to view the trailer and find information on its release.

Shauna Jamieson Carty is a Jamaican freelance journalist and author who is based in the United States. She received a B.A. in political science from Lehman College and a Master's in journalism from Columbia University. She frequently works with her husband Ricky Carty who photographed the Mighty Sparrow for this story. Her non-fiction book, Praying in the Moment: Reflections on the Election of President Barack Obama, is now available online and at a bookstore near you. Please click on the title of the book to buy it.