Last Sunday a small corner of Ajax was ignited with the sound of calypso emanating from the backyard of calypso great David Michael Rudder.

Rudder will be performing live in Toronto this Saturday July 31st for the first time since the COVID shutdown. 

The show will be outdoors, on stage at the City View Drive-In. The car-only venue is back this summer since the relaxation of Covid restrictions in the city.

The drive-in is located adjacent to the Rebel Night Club on Polson Street in the Toronto, and because of COVID restrictions rehearsals could not take place at that venue, so Rudder took matters into his hands and assembled his musicians in his backyard for a five-hour Jam session in preparation for the show.

The Caribbean Camera was greeted with a band on its lunch break and lunch table chock full of Caribbean home cooking. Then it was back to business for the musicians.

The session started off with A Madman Rant  and continued on with Rudder’s big hits including High Mas  and ended with Trini to de bone. This last tune elicited a shout from his Guyanese neighbour pressing Rudder to “Big up Guyana” as well.

By this time all the neighbours got into the swing of things, peering over the fence armed with cameras. We can say with full confidence that in those Ajax homes every aspect of the unusual session is now on record. Rudder responded by not only “biging up” Guyana, he did the same for his neighbour from India. The neighbours sat on their decks and allowed the music to wash over them on a warm Sunday afternoon.

A hush descended on the back yard with the arrival of the Durham police. But after a slightly nervous Christine Rudder, David’s wife, explained that the backyard rehearsal was planned because the COVID restrictions precluded practice anywhere else. The police asked for the sound to be toned down and remained to enjoy the show much to Christine’s relief.

Given that it was a welcome, long-awaited break from the drab months of isolation, with happy Durham police officers in their midst, and Caribbean music delivered by one of Trinidad and Canada’s finest calypsonians, we expect that once the word gets around that property values will rise precipitously.

The quality of the music, which filled a certain Alax neighbourhood last Sunday, tells us that David Rudder is more that ready to deliver a top class performance at City View Drive-In.

This first Rudder Concert in about 2 years will be quite an experience and a reprieve from all that we have gone through in the last year and a half. Rudder fans will get a chance to be nostalgic, and also get to dip into some of “King David’s” new offerings.

There will also be an extra treat: David’s daughter will be on stage with her dad as one of his backup singers.