1986 was a good year for some, but one TT national in particular has a lot to commemorate four decades later.
That person is Dr. David Michael Rudder, who is celebrating the 40th anniversary of winning the three most prestigious titles from Carnival 1986: Young King, National Calypso Monarch, and Road March King.
In 2026, the Divas Calypso Cabaret dedicated its opening night to his triple win that went down in the Carnival record books of Trinidad and Tobago.
Manager of the calypso tent, Dr. Rudolph Ottley, said the icon should be celebrated for his contribution.
“We felt it was important, as we have done over the last 22 years, to pay tribute to one of our iconic figures in the artform. We have done people like Sparrow, Lady Trinidad, Baron, Kitchener, and a whole list of others every year. But this year, since it is the 40th anniversary of that historic year in 1986 when David won the three major calypso titles at the time, the Young King, the Calypso Monarch, and the Road March title, we felt it only fitting to pay tribute to him.”
Calypsonian at the Divas Calypso Cabaret, Anastasia Richardson, said she felt honoured to be called on to perform ‘Calypso Music’ – one of King David’s greatest tunes.
“That meant the world to me because the platform that he made for us, the contribution he has made, are really magnificent. The song itself, Calypso Music, is exactly what we do. You know, it’s a journey that we take persons on, and it is truly such an honour to sing and present his song in the way that I did.”
She said that with T&T’s rich history, there should be more of the country’s culture offered on all media platforms.
“I would love calypso to be played on every single station, and not just the names that you continuously hear. Names that you don’t hear often, it could actually have a segment for people who may be, as you would think, less famous, you know, because we have a lot of fantastic contributions.”