Written by Rawle Gibbons, ‘Ten to One’ follows Sparrow’s story in the 1950’s and 60’s, when he rose to dominance of the calypso world. As Dr Louis Regis states: “‘Ten to One’ introduces the modern age of competitiveness, exploitation and neglect. This period is dominated by the charismatic Sparrow, the rebel who defied the public definition of social outcast into which the calypsonian and other folk artistes had been typecast.” (‘A Calypso Trilogy’, Ian Randle Press, 1999). In fact, it is Sparrow who, almost single-handedly, launched the modern era of calypso, the benefits of which singers today still enjoy.
We celebrate Sparrow’s 90th birthday by staging this play for national, regional and international audiences as we stage this production in Trinidad and Barbados for CARIFESTA XV.
