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Biography of Mr. BrownUp
Close and Personal with the Multi-Talented TC Brown –
St.
Lucia’s 2001 Calypso Monarch, who says he is misunderstood and is determined
to prove the skeptics wrong. (By Vincent
Lewis) There was this twinkle in his eyes as he recalled the
days when he played his make-shift drum set, in his mom’s basement. An old
kerosene container was the bass drum; empty tins of powdered milk (some cut)
would serve as snare and toms, while the tin covers were cymbals, nailed to
sticks planted in the ground. For Linus Terry Cadette a.k.a. T.C. Brown or Mr.
Brown (take your pick), being a musician was a boyhood dream. Throughout his
years at the R.C. Boys Infant and Primary, he was a member of the Cathedral
Choir. Though he sang in the choir, young Terry recalled the many afternoons he
would turn-up for choir practice one hour earlier just to fiddle around on the
piano, drums or guitar. His formal education ended at the R.C. Boys Primary but
that did not stifle his determination. He enrolled into the St. Lucia School of
Music where he studied music theory and classical guitar. Believe it or not, TC
plays a melodious classical guitar and he has in fact written scores to some of
his own songs. Drums were his next instrument of choice and the one
which landed him a couple nights at local hotels gigging with the band Orion. In
those days Red Lion was burning hot with entertainment. His first big break came
in 1990 when he was invited to join the group Summit as a drummer and vocalist
on the Cunard Countess. Four years later, the group was discovered by Pam and
Paul Castle, who invited Summit to England for a BBC talent show called Pebble
Meal. The guys impressed and were invited to stay a little longer. Within months
they landed a contract with RCA Records which produced the hit singles
Yummy Yummy (on which TC did lead vocals) and Stay,
featuring Werner ‘Semi’ Francis. The group’s popularity began to soar and
they seemed close to becoming the first St. Lucian band to break-out on the
international scene in the nineties. As fate would have it, that dream was
short-lived as a fall-out with the Castles brought an end to what looked like a
bright future in the music industry. TC, along with Warner ‘Semi’ Francis and Collins
‘Slade’ Carasco returned to St. Lucia. Phillip Bowers remained in England
while Curtis Henry moved on to the United States. The three later teamed-up with
Christopher Neil (in October 1998), to form the band October 4. In
between his gigs on the local hotel circuit, TC rekindled an interest in
broadcasting, which he says had been with him for some time. At the coaxing of
Sharon Williams, TC joined Radio Caribbean as an on-air announcer. That’s when
he adopted the sobriquet TC Brown. He says the initial months were tough as he
was greeted with a barrage of criticisms about his diction and pronunciation.
But there were those in his corner like Timothy Poleon who gave him pointers and
helped him grow in the field. Soon his popularity soared to the extent that he
was snatched by Gem Radio, now The Wave – where he is now the Afternoon Man
on the 2-6 afternoon drive. Take TC away from that shift and it wouldn’t
be the same. 1999 marked a turning point in TC’s musical career.
That’s the year he decided to enter the calypso arena, at the urging of his
buddy, Christopher Neil, who also recommended Zepherin ‘Face’ Calixte as his
writer. Coming from a secular music background TC’s style stirred-up much
debate and controversy that year. He told the critics in song that like the
baseball ace Marc McGuire, he would make it Some Day and they did not
take him seriously, though he made it to the Semifinals. In 2000 TC dropped
the bomb with a thought provoking number called Where Are They Now,
lamenting the plight of our national heroes. In that song was the teasing line
“boy ah singing calypso” for the skeptics. His two other songs Lucia
Cannot be a Saint and Amazing, made TC a hot favorite for the crown
but he admits that come the night of Finals 2000 he did not have it all
together. But who would have ever thought that 2002 would be
TC’s year. He was ridiculed by the Tent Pinez on Ambassadors opening night
when he sang an unorthodox number called It’s Really Up to You. The
pranksters called it Jazzlypso and labeled TC Luther Dandruff. In the second
half he sang I Like, which got a lukewarm response.
TC seemed headed for more trouble mid-way through the 2002 Calypso Season
when he introduced the song No Excuse, a damning assault on the
reputation of proclaimed human rights attorney Martinus Francois. The song drew
the wrath of Francois who filed an injunction in the courts barring local radio
and television stations from playing the song, violation of which would incur
libel suits. TC and his camp were forced to drop the song. Just when it seemed a
dismal year for TC, Gregory Shining Emmanuel invited him to rise and shine,
singing the test piece for Diamond Steel. As it turned out, Diamond Steel
captured the Panorama title for the second straight year with Rise & Shine
on Friday July 13 and on the rainy, soggy and muddy evening of Saturday July 14,
TC Brown snatched the Calypso Monarch Title with spectacular performances of I
Like and Rise & Shine – a tribute to pan complete with
illuminated pan men hoisted by fork lifts, flames and two gigantic model pans
which formed the backdrop.
The controversy which followed his capturing the
prestigious Calypso Monarch Title are well documented and ventilated, but TC
remains steadfast in his conviction that he deserves to be St. Lucia’s
reigning Calypso King and he intends to carry that title with pride. In fact, he
has promised to make it extremely difficult for anyone to dethrone him in 2002. TC admits that he is terribly misunderstood as a
performer and a person. He told us: “I always tell people that they create the
sex symbol. Many people think I’m womanizing and I’ve even had people call
me gay. That’s terribly off-base. It’s unfortunate, because not many people
know the real TC, not many people see the really humble side of me; nor do they
see the professional and responsible side of me.” He added: “When I come on air and I switch it on
and it sounds all bubbly – that’s just the job. Even for me to whine on
stage during the season, took a lot from me. Every time I review the video,
I’m amazed at what I see of myself.” Two major influences in TC’s life are his
4-year-old daughter Tember and his girlfriend Claudine. TC the daddy admits that
when he produces a song, if Tember doesn’t like it, it does not pass the test.
He says proudly: “I can see the music in her and I like that a lot. I’ve
just converted her room so she has her own piano and she has started piano
lessons. For me, to have her growing up in the music and take an interest at
such a tender age is such a wonderful thing.” We are all familiar with the behind every successful
man saying. Well, Claudine is the tower of strength and emotional support for TC.
He places a great deal of confidence in her ability to take charge and make
things happen for the better. In fact, that's just what he did this calypso
season, he concentrated on his performance and let Claudine take charge of the
business side of things – a formula which paid off wonderfully. In soft tones
he said: “ I think she’s really strong and really loving, very understanding
and we have a good bond.” TC’s latest pet project is Changa Productions
– his home-based recording studio where he produced most of the tracks for his
debut CD That’s Me. When he’s not slamming down the hits on The Wave,
TC is churning out new music, commercials or jingles from the bowels of Changa
Productions. At present, a fairly large ratio of commercials being aired on
local radio originates from his studio – several with his distinct baritone
peaking through the airwaves. TC The Monarch left an impression on New York’s
Labor Day celebrations last year, and he says this is just the beginning of
things to come. The King says he wants to take St. Lucia’s music to another
level, to new heights of excellence and at present there is hardly anyone better
placed to do so. |
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