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THE characteristic wide grin that usually embodies the persona of jazz artiste Vaughnette Bigford at her concerts was replaced by tears as she struggled with the overpowering emotion of grief while performing a moving tribute to departed souls, dear to her.
VB concerts hold a special thrill and intimacy with her audience and are usually lively and fun. Her Umoja – A Celebration of Us – concert started no differently. Somewhere coming towards the latter part, indications of something bubbling within was not the usual excitement associated with past events, surfaced.
Slowly at first as she started to speak, pausing, contemplating and then deciding that she "was not going there."
She changed her mind just before her performance of Reason, sharing with the packed Naparima Bowl, San Fernando audience on August 2, her many challenges, asserting, “all you don’t know.”
Thanking her fans who have supported her every event, she conveyed that without them she would not be here. At this point the emotions made a bold leap as she discretely sought tissues to dry the threatening tears, back towards the audience.
There was a hush, as she sat on a seat on the stage. Identifying with the pain she would have been feeling, the chorus line helped carry and finish the tune while bass guitarist moved from his spot in the background, closer to the artiste, lending silent emotional support.
Dressed in one of two unique Zaad and Eastman creations she wore that night, Bigford bounced back to render another emotional piece, Say a little prayer (for the children), calling out the names of young ones, including that of her son, Isiah, while trying to blame her menopausal state for her reaction.
[caption id="attachment_1171658" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Sharlan Bailey as he performs some of his father's, the late Shadow's hits at Umoja – A Celebration of Us on August 2. - Yvonne Webb[/caption]
There was no masking the grief as she turned towards a large screen set up to her left of the stage, on which the smiling faces of now deceased loved ones, including her Daddy, rolled across.
“I am very good at masking, but I have been in deep, deep grief,” she confessed, taking a deep breath before paying tribute to fallen artistes – Kay Alleyne, Moricia Cagan, Patti Rogers, Raf Robertson, Clive Zanda, Arthur Lewis, Marlon De Bique – and her Daddy, with the moving penultimate song, Memory of Your Smile.
Applause sounded, every time another face appeared, as all eyes remained glued to the screen.
Not wanting to end on a sombre note, she mustered the courage to do a combination of Baron’s Tell me Why and Full Blown Good Spirits to usher the crowd to the courtyard for an after-show lime where they were treated to delicacies and music for dancing.
The event proved to be one of Bigford’s most memorable as she paid tribute to living legends songbird Mavis John, rapso artiste Karega Mandela who is now wheelchair bound, and the people’s calypsonian, Brother Valentino.
Spoken word artiste Zakiya Griot Gill condensed each of the trio’s life into moving monologues as Bigford performed evergreen pieces from the respective artiste, to thank and honour them for their music. Never Surrender and Free up Africa, paid tribute to Mandela. I will be your Friend and Use my Body, summed up the legacy of Mavis John, while Birds that Fly and Stay up Zimbabwe embodied Valentino.
Each were presented with gift baskets.
Normally, the VB concert is very dignified and reserved, but guest artiste Sharlan Bailey, cousin of the artiste, transformed Umoja into a jazz -jam- down, much to the delight of the audience.
Dressed in their finest traditional African wear, the audience cast aside their starchiness to get on their feet and dance as the replica of the Shadow himself, was ushered in Shadow’s signature black shirt and pants, hat and greying beard.
[caption id="attachment_1171658" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Sharlan Bailey as he performs some of his father's, the late Shadow's hits at Umoja – A Celebration of Us on August 2. - Yvonne Webb[/caption]
The music of Bassman began before he appeared, and without any incitement or prompting the crowd joined in singing line for line. He reminded them that the song was 50 years old.
Soca Boat, Stranger, had the same effect on the patrons and when he departed after his established set, there was a call for an encore.
“Bring him back, bring him back”, the crowd cried in unison.
The last person who got an encore and almost stole the show Bigford recalled was Valentino at her 2024 installation at the same venue. She promised she was not going to invite him back and is pondering if the same should apply to cousin Sharlan.
Sharlan was welcomed back performing Obeah and Bassman, before the audience reluctantly allowed him to make his way off stage.
 
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