Alston
BECKET Cyrus
Legendary
soca artiste/composer, Alston BECKET Cyrus, has fostered
an illustrious 35-year career with 26 albums, numerous award-winning
singles, 1 movie soundtrack, 5 compositions featured in four American
TV programs, the sitcom Full House and The Tonight Show With
Jay Leno amongst them, and 8 Road March titles, all to his
credit. Through his achievements and distinguished musicianship Becket
has earned his title as the 'ABC' of Calypso/Soca.
Born
in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in the Caribbean, Becket's first love
was the steel pan. As a teenager he realized that he also had a gift
for singing and switched to calypso. In 1972, while a member of the
US Army, Becket decided that he wanted to pursue a singing career and
as a result he performed in the successful US Soldier's Tour
in Hawaii 1972-1974. His professional career began in 1975 and he quickly
became popular as a young calypsonian.
In 1976
Becket began working with calypso and soca's greatest arranger, Frankie
McIntosh, a union that has lasted 34 years and still going. In 1977,
he struck gold with his break-out hit, Coming High, and followed
with equally successful singles like Wine Down Kingstown (1978),
Cocoa (1980), and the monster hits Calypso Noel (1982),
Ooh La La (1983), Teaser (1990) and Small Pin (1999)!
In 1991, he received the Record of the Year and Best Party
Tune awards, for Teaser, at the first ever Caribbean Music
Awards held at the world famous Apollo Theatre (NYC). He was
honored three times by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
and earned an award from the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Houston
for Teaser. In 1994 Ella Me Vacila
(the Spanish version of Teaser) earned him a BMI Latin Award
and a Billboard/Univision Award for the Salsa/Tropical Song
of the Year. Cover versions of this song have been done in several
other languages. During Trinidad's Carnival 2000, smash hits Small
Pin and Doh Eat And Lie Down swept the Caribbean airwaves.
In addition to party tunes, Becket creatively penned several songs related
to world events, Caribbean politics and carnival, such as Love Is
The Answer (remade in 2001 featuring post 911 lyrics), Carnival
History (earning him the Calypso King of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
in 1975), Legalize The Grass, Human Rights, I Am An African,
Hezekiah, Mama, Oppression, Cardo, Marie-Anne,
I Want Soca, I Cry, Gal Ah Rush Me, Say No To Drugs,
Laramania, Rights, Bring Back Moses Law, Grenada Will
Rise Again and Don't Look Down On Ah Man, to name a few.
As a
veteran soca/calypso artiste, Becket has performed throughout the
Caribbean, Canada, Spain, England, Columbia
and the United States to include various college tours
& festivals. In 2000 Becket made history becoming
the first Caribbean artiste to perform at the US Open and
was listed as one of the 17 Outstanding Caribbean Personalities
of the 20th Century. In 2001 the government of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines made him a Goodwill Ambassador.
This
prolific composer and highly revered Caribbean music icon
continues to be a source of inspiration for generations to come. His
style, grace and versatility leave you with an insatiable desire for
more of his hypnotic melodies reflecting the musicianship of
a master. His latest CD, The Singles File, is a mixture of hit
singles that were never on an album, plus 3 brand new tracks, including
President Obama, one of the best of the many songs written in commemoration of
Barack Obama becoming the first black President of the United States.
This album has been added to iTunes music store. Becket is
the first calypso/soca artiste
to be featured on Apple computer's world-famous iPod and the
iTunes music jukebox software.
CONTACT:
Alston BECKET Cyrus
P.O. Box 610
Oxon Hill, MD 20750-0610
Tel: 202-561-1498
Fax: 202-561-1586
Email:
abecketcyrus@gmail.com
Website: www.alstonbecketcyrus.com