Fifteen years after the death of The Mighty Pe’lay, the legendary Saint Lucian calypsonian, the new Calypso Review Committee (CRC) honoured him with a special exhibition and ceremony at Constitution Park in Castries on Monday.
Jeff Pe’lay Elva, also known as Mr Consistency, died on September 28, 2011, at the age of 67.
He is remembered as one of the country’s most prolific songwriters, famous for his social commentary, political wit, satire and party songs.
His achievements include winning the Calypso Monarch title six times, Road March twice, and becoming Saint Lucia’s first Soca Monarch when the competition began in 1997.
Pe’lay wrote over 300 songs for himself and others, and he also released the first full-length Caribbean Christmas album in 1977.
He also wrote Saint Lucia’s National Pledge of Allegiance.
He was born in Vieux Fort and moved to the United States in the 1970s to study aeronautical engineering. However, a serious car accident left him paralysed from the waist down and ended that dream.
Despite this setback, he made a name for himself on the calypso stage, showing that he stood as tall as anyone, even from his wheelchair.
Caron Tobiere, Chair of the CRC, described the exhibition as a small celebration of Pe’lay.
“We saw this as a fitting tribute to celebrate him, but this is part of a bigger project,” Tobiere said. “The CRC has come together to establish an organisation which will manage the music of carnival moving forward. We hope to do so pretty soon and this is one of the projects which we have undertaken.”
The bigger project, she said, will be a national calypso exhibition on November 22, where the story of calypso in Saint Lucia will be told.
Lorna Lubron, a former president of the Calypso Association, said she was pleased with the effort that went into organising the exhibition.
“Pe’lay was certainly one of our leading calypsonians, and back in 1975 when the Saint Lucia Calypso Association was formed, he was an integral part of it along with Lord Jackson, Carro and others who made it happen,” Lubron said.
Chris Norville, a relative of Pe’lay who spoke at Monday’s ceremony, said that being born on Christmas Day makes him feel connected to Pe’lay’s Christmas music. “Although he is gone, that memory will always remain and I must say he carried our culture in his music,” Norville said.
Ian Sanchez, a music promoter and friend of Pe’lay, said the late calypsonian was truly a legend.
“I remember a few months before he died, he said … ‘when I die then you will all see how great I am’,” Sanchez recalled. “He was so right; although we became close, after he passed I learned so much more about him and the immense work he did. I am truly blessed to have known Jeff Elva and I will treasure those memories for the rest of my life.”
Several calypsonians attended the ceremony, including Blaze, Invader and Jackson. Calypsonian TC Brown also performed a special tribute.
Pe’lay was seen as a cultural icon in Saint Lucia and was also recognised for his advocacy for people with disabilities. He became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2009 and received the Les Piton Medal, the Belgrave Medal for Lifetime Achievement, and was inducted into the Saint Lucia Music Hall of Fame.
