In Quaratine – So what is King David up to at home?

 

David Rudder

Congratulations, dear reader. You’ve made it through another week of Ontario’s virtual virus prison.

You’re seen every movie on your Netflix hit list. You’re somewhere between finally doing you taxes or buying yourself a dog so that you have an excuse to be out walking the street.

Don’t be cross. The Caribbean Camera’s Stephen Weir has got your back.  This week he talked to David Michael Rudder, aka King David, about how the calypso star and his family  are handling the shutdown.

David Rudder has been singing calypso for over four decades.  And now at the age  67, he shows no signs of  slowing down. In fact, while he isn’t performing live right now, he is very active on the internet producing a must read Facebook account of  events  that are informative, thought provoking and entertaining.

Earler this week, we conducted a Q&A on FaceBook Messenger with Stephen  Weir in downtown Toronto and Rudder in his  kitchen in Ajax.

Here is an abbreviated version of that  interview:

Caribbean Camera:  What are you doing during the shutdown? Are you being creative? is the new music coming?  Are you eating too much like the rest of us?

Rudder:  (We are) watching lots of movies. (Writing) a song or two.  And, I’ve finally started my autobiography! The good news is, the children are learning to cook. As to being in shape, the jury’s out on that one.

Caribbean Camera: Are your kids with you? and is the family homeschooling ?

Rudder: The two elder children go to U of T. So they’re having their assignments with their professors completely online. My youngest is also working online but it’s not as intense.

Caribbean Camera: Did you have to cancel gigs because of the shutdown ? What are your plans for touring and concerts when the world gets back to near-normal?

Rudder: All my gigs up to June are cancelled. However, they’ll be rescheduled for the latter part of the year. Knock on wood .Things will be okay by then.

Caribbean Camera:  What is your opinion on this historic pandemic? Is it retribution? Is it a chance to start again?

Rudder:  I don’t know about retribution, or if it’s man-made. But (I do know) it does give us a chance to retool and start back armed with a sense of grace.

Caribbean Camera:  I notice that some of your postings in Social Media are political in nature. When we come out of this, do you see a change in how things are done?

Rudder: I would hope so, but judging from what’s happening politically next door (in the United States), one can only hope.

 Caribbean Camera – Earlier this week, you paid tribute to the passing of cultural icon Tony Hall in Tobago on your Facebook site. What was your relationship to him?

Rudder: He was friend, a brother in the arts. Tony was a pioneer in the idea of a face for Caribbean television and theatre.

Caribbean Camera – Stay safe, King Rudder.