By DARCEL CHOY Wednesday, February 3 2010

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Gordon's two sons Rovell, left, and Roderick, known in the soca world as "Chucky" who is among 35 semi-finalists in TUCO's National Calypso Monarch ...

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The entertainment fraternity came out in their numbers yesterday to pay tribute to well known calypso judge and cultural activist, Roland Gordon.

At an emotional three-hour celebration of his life at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, his friends, colleagues and family members remembered him as “a man who could not have said no to anyone.”

Jemma Jordan, close friend and former classmate at the Mausica Teachers’ Training College, said that Gordon gave of himself selflessly and wanted everyone to know that.

“At Mausica, they made us stand up for our rights, made us determined, and I saw that in Roland. Thanks to Mausica, Roland developed into a selfless, giving, driven conscientious person,” she recalled.

Another classmate, Donald Graham said at the training college they were taught to love their country.

“We were taught to work for country, Roland worked for his country, Roland is a Mausican,” he said.

Also giving tribute was PanTrinbago President, Keith Diaz who remembered Gordon’s involvement in both the junior and senior Panorama.

“We in TT must recognise him as a culture bearer, and I think Roland should be one of the recipients of our country’s highest award, not only for his contribution in steelpan or kaiso, but in different areas of culture,” he said which was received with a thunderous applause from the large audience.

Calypsonian Singing Sandra and Tigress remembered Gordon as a man who was always there for them and told his son, calypsonian and soca artiste Chucky they will be there for him too.

“If I have to miss work when you have a competition, I’m making sure you go, you do not want a cut tail from your united aunties,” Singing Sandra said.

Paying tribute in song and dance were the Los Amantes de Paranda parang group and the Malick Folk Performing Company with whom Gordon worked closely for many years. It was obvious that his death affected them all as they struggled through their performances.

From the calypso and soca fraternity, Winston “Gypsy” Peters performed “Yesterday’s Children” while Superblue gave a surprise performance in remembrance of his friend singing “Ole Time Religion”.

Lifting the mood was Neil Iwer George who sang his winning song at the 2007 Soca Monarch ‘Fete after Fete’ which he said was Gordon’s favourite. George’s performance brought everyone to their feet as he turned Queen’s Hall into a small fete.

After, a very emotional Chucky Gordon, expressed fear knowing that he had to go on without his father, but he promised to continue singing.

“I would get through, this too shall pass, daddy would want me to continue, it will be selfish of me not to continue and pass on to others who may come after me what he taught, he was my director, my producer, my friend, my teacher, everything in one. This is the hardest thing I ever had to face in my life, but I would make it,”he assured.