Edwin Ayoung (born 1944),[1] better known as Crazy, is a Trinidadiancalypsonian. He has been active since the mid-1970s and is one of the most successful artists from Trinidad and Tobago.
Ayoung was born in 1944 at Maraval Road, Port of Spain, Trinidad, one of eleven children to a Chinese Trinidadian father and an Afro-Venezuelan mother.[2][3] As a youth he showed promise as a cricketer, but chose a career in music.[2] He initially worked under the names Wong Ping and the Mighty Arawak, but was renamed 'Crazy' by fellow calypsonian Fred Farrell due to his extravagant performances.[2][3]
Crazy made his solo carnival debut in 1975 with "The Electrician", which was also released as a single.[2] He followed this with "Satan's Coming" and "A Great Achievement", before signing for Eddy Grant's Ice Records label, for which he had his first hit, "Dustbin Cover"/"Listen Joffre Serrette".[2] The two songs from the single gained him second place at the National Calypso Monarch finals in 1978.[2]
Crazy was the first artist to sing a "Parang Soca" song (mixing soca and hymnal Latin music) in 1978.[2][4] His debut album, Crazy's Super Album, was released in 1979 and sold over 35,000 copies in his home country.[2]
Crazy acted in the Trinidad All Theatre Productions' shows Cinderama (1980) and Snokone and the Seven Dwens (1981), and in 1982 toured Europe with the company in their re-enactment of carnival's traditional J'Ouvert opening ceremony.[2]
In 1982, he finished joint second at Road March with "Uncle Crazy".[2] In 1984 he became one of the first soca artists to perform at Reggae Sunsplash.[2] He won Road March in 1985 with "Suck Meh Soucouyant", and finished as runner-up in 1989.[2][5]
He pioneered the crossover genre chutney soca with his 1989 Road March entry, "Nani Wine", a big hit in North America and the West Indies in 1989.
After a relative lack of success in the early 1990s, which included an album recorded with Byron Lee, his fortunes improved in 1997 with the release of the album Still Crazy After 25 Years, the same year finishing third in the Soca Chutney Monarch competition and reaching the final of International Soca Monarch.[2]
He continues to feature in major contests, and in 2007 placed 5th at Road March with "Cold Sweat".[6]
In 2012 he pioneered another new style, "Trini-style reggae", releasing a Trini-reggae cover of "Hotel California".[7]
In 2015 he headlined the Pan New England Steelband Festival in Blue Hill, Maine.[9]
Lyrical content
Crazy's lyrics are often humorous, but have also incorporated political themes. While many of his lyrics have been risqué, in 2011, he appealed to parang soca artists to keep lyrics 'holy' in the runup to Christmas.[4] In contrast to the homophobic lyrics of many calypsonians, Crazy's "Take ah Man", with its line "If yuh cyar get ah wooman, take ah man", was adopted as a gay anthem in Trinidad and Tobago.[10] He wrote "Stop the Crime" in response to the murder of state prosecutor Dana Seetahal and general level of crime in Trinidad.[11]
^ abGuilbault, Jocelyne (2007) Governing Sound: The Cultural Politics of Trinidad's Carnival Musics, University of Chicago Press, ISBN978-0226310602, pp. 119–120
^ abLoubon, Michelle (2011) "Crazy appeals to soca/parang bards: Stop the smut, keep it holy", Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, 28 November 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2016
^Clarke, Donald (1998) The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Penguin, ISBN978-0140513707, p. 706
^Blood, Ray (2013) "Who Is the Best Calypsonian?", Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, 2 August 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2016
^Bossert, Diane (2015) "25th Annual Pan New England Steelband Festival in Blue Hill 6 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Bangor Daily News, 8 April 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2016
^Crichlow, Wesley (2003) Buller Men and Batty Bwoys: Hidden Men in Toronto and Halifax Black Communities, University of Toronto Press, ISBN978-0802089427, p. 62
^Fraser, Mark (2014) "Crazy sings against crime 9 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Trinidad Express, 14 May 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2016
crazy, singer, edwin, ayoung, born, 1944, better, known, crazy, trinidadian, calypsonian, been, active, since, 1970s, most, successful, artists, from, trinidad, tobago, crazybirth, nameedwin, ayoungalso, known, aswong, ping, mighty, arawakborn1944, port, spain. Edwin Ayoung born 1944 1 better known as Crazy is a Trinidadian calypsonian He has been active since the mid 1970s and is one of the most successful artists from Trinidad and Tobago CrazyBirth nameEdwin AyoungAlso known asWong Ping The Mighty ArawakBorn1944 age 78 79 Port of Spain TrinidadGenresCalypso soca parang soca chutney soca reggaeYears active1974 presentLabelsCrazy Charlie s Kalico Ice JWP Hometown MusicWebsitewww wbr calypsocrazy wbr com Contents 1 Career 2 Lyrical content 3 Discography 3 1 Albums 3 2 EPs 3 3 Singles 4 References 5 External links 6 See AlsoCareer EditAyoung was born in 1944 at Maraval Road Port of Spain Trinidad one of eleven children to a Chinese Trinidadian father and an Afro Venezuelan mother 2 3 As a youth he showed promise as a cricketer but chose a career in music 2 He initially worked under the names Wong Ping and the Mighty Arawak but was renamed Crazy by fellow calypsonian Fred Farrell due to his extravagant performances 2 3 Crazy made his solo carnival debut in 1975 with The Electrician which was also released as a single 2 He followed this with Satan s Coming and A Great Achievement before signing for Eddy Grant s Ice Records label for which he had his first hit Dustbin Cover Listen Joffre Serrette 2 The two songs from the single gained him second place at the National Calypso Monarch finals in 1978 2 Crazy was the first artist to sing a Parang Soca song mixing soca and hymnal Latin music in 1978 2 4 His debut album Crazy s Super Album was released in 1979 and sold over 35 000 copies in his home country 2 Crazy acted in the Trinidad All Theatre Productions shows Cinderama 1980 and Snokone and the Seven Dwens 1981 and in 1982 toured Europe with the company in their re enactment of carnival s traditional J Ouvert opening ceremony 2 In 1982 he finished joint second at Road March with Uncle Crazy 2 In 1984 he became one of the first soca artists to perform at Reggae Sunsplash 2 He won Road March in 1985 with Suck Meh Soucouyant and finished as runner up in 1989 2 5 He pioneered the crossover genre chutney soca with his 1989 Road March entry Nani Wine a big hit in North America and the West Indies in 1989 After a relative lack of success in the early 1990s which included an album recorded with Byron Lee his fortunes improved in 1997 with the release of the album Still Crazy After 25 Years the same year finishing third in the Soca Chutney Monarch competition and reaching the final of International Soca Monarch 2 He continues to feature in major contests and in 2007 placed 5th at Road March with Cold Sweat 6 In 2012 he pioneered another new style Trini style reggae releasing a Trini reggae cover of Hotel California 7 In 2013 Crazy was named in a list of the top 50 calypsonians of the 20th century by the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation TUCO 8 In 2015 he headlined the Pan New England Steelband Festival in Blue Hill Maine 9 Lyrical content EditCrazy s lyrics are often humorous but have also incorporated political themes While many of his lyrics have been risque in 2011 he appealed to parang soca artists to keep lyrics holy in the runup to Christmas 4 In contrast to the homophobic lyrics of many calypsonians Crazy s Take ah Man with its line If yuh cyar get ah wooman take ah man was adopted as a gay anthem in Trinidad and Tobago 10 He wrote Stop the Crime in response to the murder of state prosecutor Dana Seetahal and general level of crime in Trinidad 11 Discography EditAlbums Edit Crazy s Super Album 1979 Crazy Madness Is Gladness 1980 Crazy My Method of Madness 1980 Crazy Mad Man Jam 1982 CCM New Direction 1983 Kalico Fire 1985 Crazy Here I Am 1986 Crazy Chief Crazy 1987 Crazy Crazy Crazy 1981 Kai Soca Nani Wine 1989 Trinity Soca Beti 1990 Benab Jump Leh We Jump 1991 Dynamic Crazymania 1992 JWP Let s Go Crazy 1993 JWP Craziah Than Ever 1994 JWP Crazy For You 1995 JWP Wildness 1996 JWP Still Crazy After 25 Years 1997 JWP Ah Crazy Again Back to Basics 1999 JWP Dangerously Crazy 2001 JWP Masquerade 2002 JWP Best of Crazy 2002 JWP Crazy On De Loose 2003 JWP Trnidad Crazy 2004 Hometown Music Sweet Madness 2005 Hometown Music De Maddest 2006 Cold Sweat 2007 Unstoppable 2008 Crazylicious 2009 Evergreen 2010 The Recipe 2012 EPs Edit Crazy 2011 2011 Crazy s Crazy Singles 2012 2012 Crazy 2013 2013 Singles Edit Chinaman 1974 Strakers Religious Procession The Electrician 1975 Crazy Satan s Coming 1976 MAM Charlie s Band Leaders Ain t Care 1977 MAM Bellini A Great Achievement 1977 MAM Bellini Dustbin Cover Listen Joffre Serrette 1978 Ice Parang Soca Guadeloupe Chick 1979 Crazy s Contribution To The International Year Of The Child 1979 Crazy Muchacha 1979 Don t Try That 1980 Sweet Daisy 1983 Kalico Ain t Boung For You 1984 Drive It 1988 Christmas Parang Parti 1990 Charlie s De Party Now Start 1992 Parang Soca 1992 Cahrlie s Dis Is How 1994 JWP D Ride 1998 Qualified Cashier 2003 Hometown MusicDigital singles tracks Phone Card 2008 When Steel Talks 2009 Rub It Up 2010 Patrick Manning Must Go 2010 More Percy 2010 Crazy 2012 2012 I For Kamla 2013 Big Band 2013 De Bull 2013 References Edit some sources e g Thompson 2002 state 1948 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Thompson Dave 2002 Reggae amp Caribbean Music Backbeat Books ISBN 0 87930 655 6 pp 81 83 a b Guilbault Jocelyne 2007 Governing Sound The Cultural Politics of Trinidad s Carnival Musics University of Chicago Press ISBN 978 0226310602 pp 119 120 a b Loubon Michelle 2011 Crazy appeals to soca parang bards Stop the smut keep it holy Trinidad and Tobago Guardian 28 November 2011 Retrieved 25 April 2016 Clarke Donald 1998 The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music Penguin ISBN 978 0140513707 p 706 Trinidad amp Tobago Carnival 2007 Results trinisoca com Retrieved 25 April 2016 Rambally Krystal 2012 Crazy jammin Trini style reggae Archived 12 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Trinidad and Tobago Guardian 29 April 2012 Retrieved 25 April 2016 Blood Ray 2013 Who Is the Best Calypsonian Trinidad and Tobago Guardian 2 August 2013 Retrieved 25 April 2016 Bossert Diane 2015 25th Annual Pan New England Steelband Festival in Blue Hill Archived 6 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Bangor Daily News 8 April 2015 Retrieved 25 April 2016 Crichlow Wesley 2003 Buller Men and Batty Bwoys Hidden Men in Toronto and Halifax Black Communities University of Toronto Press ISBN 978 0802089427 p 62 Fraser Mark 2014 Crazy sings against crime Archived 9 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine Trinidad Express 14 May 2014 Retrieved 25 April 2016External links EditOfficial website Crazy Discography on The Calypso ArchivesSee Also EditList of calypsos with sociopolitical influences Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Crazy singer amp oldid 1150929933, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
